


Bonding over a Sprained Ankle

by RL4r



Series: FWP-series w/ Hidashi [9]
Category: Big Hero 6 (2014)
Genre: Ahahahaa Poor Hiro's so thirsty, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe- Not Related, Dorks in Love, FWP-Fluff without Plot, I can’t believe I’m writing about the beach in freaking October, I love writing about these idiots so much pwahahahaa, I sure do like writing Hiro getting his feet injured don’t I?, I’m sorry tiny nerd bby I don’t mean to hurt you on purpose, M/M, Medical Students! AU, Not-Related! AU, Not-brothers! AU, Older Hiro, because that’s totally a thing, because they’re the best, but I’m sorry it was necessary so….please bear with me, but Tadashi's just so damn clueless, first chapter’s kinda boring, hidashi, or at least I think it’s a thing, tadahiro, their love for Hiro is one of my absolute favorite things in the world, whoops, will feature the nerd gang
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-27
Updated: 2015-12-17
Packaged: 2018-04-28 10:46:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 21,552
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5087707
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RL4r/pseuds/RL4r
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Considering the fact that he was a genius, Hiro sure did some stupid things sometimes. </p><p>Such as injuring himself badly enough that he couldn’t move on his own. Not even a little bit.</p><p>But don’t feel too bad for him. He has great friends and a great boyfriend to be there for him when he needs help. </p><p>Hiro was going to be ok.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Part One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Needless to say, this installment is wayyyy overdue. It’s so overdue that I have to explicitly say what month this is taking place in for my own damn reference. XDDD. I’m not sure if anyone really noticed, but the installments tended to take place around the same time as when I uploaded them. However, ever since the 6th or 7th installment, I’ve fallen further and further behind, so that fact is moot at this point.
> 
> This installment takes place in early/mid July; I know that it’s freaking October at this point and I feel horribly ashamed lol orz
> 
> But um, try your best to imagine beach weather? Please….? *cries*
> 
> Anyway, the first chapter’s going to be a little strange and boring, but I need it to set up the current installment and the next one, so please forgive me. I promise I’ll work really hard on finishing the next part!  
> And I promise that the next installment will make the set-up worth it. :) I’ll post more details about it as I go along.

Bonding over a Sprained Ankle  

 

            “ _Man_  it feels great to be home!” Hiro said as he tossed his duffel bag onto the floor and threw himself onto his bed. Hiro spent a good solid minute simply appreciating the softness and familiarity of his summer blanket before he snuggled his face into his pillow.

 

            Hiro often found the emptiness and silence of his house a little lonely, but he could honestly say that he was quite glad that there was no one else home at the moment. Tadashi and Aunt Cass were both wonderful people, but after spending almost 4 full days with them (Hiro had stayed over the Monday following the anime convention weekend), Hiro definitely needed some time for himself to recharge.  _So is the life of an introvert_  Hiro thought.

 

            Luckily for Hiro, Tadashi was quite in-tuned with his needs. When he had dropped Hiro off for the night not too long ago, Tadashi had promised that he wouldn’t text Hiro like he normally did every night; rather he’d wait for Hiro to reach out to him when he felt ready to socialize again. Hiro didn’t mind Tadashi’s “good night” and “I love you” texts all that much (if at all really at this point in their relationship), but it was still nice that Tadashi offered to take a step back and allow Hiro to rest up. Tadashi definitely deserved brownie points for doing what he did; Hiro was so drained of socializing energy that he couldn’t even find it in himself to give Tadashi a goodnight kiss like he normally did (he gave Tadashi a nice warm hug though). In consequence, Hiro made a mental note to reward Tadashi with a kiss or two at a later date when he was more in the mood.

 

            Hiro stayed in bed for a few more minutes before he headed downstairs to make dinner for himself.

 

            Dinner was a quiet affair (Hiro could feel his internal batteries steadily recharging already); afterwards, Hiro briefly considered doing laundry but ultimately gave in to laziness instead. Hiro soon found himself back in his room, checking his emails on his phone as he lay in bed. He was just in the middle of checking his latest bank account statement when he got a call from his mom. His mom hadn’t called in awhile, so Hiro figured it was probably important; Hiro quickly finished up what he was doing and picked up the call.

          

            “Hi mom.” Hiro answered.

 

            “Hello Hiro. I just wanted to check up on you. Is this a good time?” Mrs. Takachiko asked.

 

            “Yeah sure, it’s not a problem. I’m fine mom. Is everything alright on your end?”

 

            “I’m glad to hear that Hiro. And yes, everything’s fine on my end. I have a summer course coming up to teach starting next week but things haven’t gotten too crazy and hectic yet.”

 

            “Things will get crazy by the end of July though, won’t they?”

 

            “Yes, unfortunately they will. For the fall semester, I’m looking at teaching two 4-credit lecture courses and a couple of labs too.” Mrs. Takachiko said wistfully. Hiro couldn’t help but feel bad for his mother. The life of a microbiology professor was never easy, especially as a woman who also happened to be a single mother. Granted, Hiro wasn’t a little kid that needed constant attention, but his mother was probably still under a lot of stress.

 

            “Well, I’m on my off-period right now, so if you need help with any of your academic research or presentations, I can help you out.” Hiro offered. Hiro never found microbiology to be particularly hard, so he knew he could definitely be of help to his mother if she really needed it.

 

            “Thanks dear, but I’ll try not to bother you too much. You have Tadashi to go out and have fun with now and the last thing I want to do is prevent my son from having fun with his boyfriend.”

 

            Hiro choked at his mother’s words and her teasing tone.

          

            “Mom!”

 

            “Oh come now, I was only teasing. Did you spend a good amount of time with Tadashi in the past couple of days? How is he?”

 

            “Well yeah…I spent the past weekend with him actually. They needed extra help at the café because of the anime convention, so I lent a hand. It was the least I could do for Tadashi and his aunt, considering how much they take care of me all the time. And Tadashi’s doing fine mom, thanks for asking.”

 

            “Oh that sounds like fun! I hope you didn’t tire yourself out too much though. Did you room with Tadashi the entire weekend?”

 

            “Yes…”

 

            “Did you sleep on the same bed as he did?”

 

            “What does it matter if I did? It’s none of your business.” Hiro said indignantly. He flushed slightly as his mind caught up with his mouth; he hadn’t meant to sound so defensive.

           

            There was a slightly awkward pause in their conversation.

 

            “Hiro…” Mrs. Takachiko broke the silence first.

 

            “I’m sorry mom. I don’t know what came over me. Please forget what I said.” Hiro hurriedly apologized.

 

            “No it’s quite alright Hiro,” Mrs. Takachiko said softly. “I was only teasing you but I probably made you uncomfortable by heading towards private territory. I’m sorry. And actually, since we’re on the topic of private territory anyway, I just wanted to say that I’m sorry about what I did to you and Tadashi a couple of weeks ago when I came by.”

 

            Hiro blinked in mild confusion. His mother hardly apologized for anything; it had also been awhile since the whole incident anyway, so Hiro had already moved on. What was going on? Had his mother been thinking about this since she had left? Did she actually feel guilty about it? _Well, she should feel  a little guilty to be completely honest_ Hiro thought.

         

            “I know I crossed boundaries that day that I shouldn’t have. I know you Hiro. You were probably really upset about it but never spoke to me about it.”

 

            Hiro held his face in his left hand, suddenly feeling very tired. He was honestly upset about what had happened for a day or two after his mother had left, but he had come to not think about the whole incident anymore. But since his mother was bringing the topic back up again anyway (and he knew that she wouldn’t just let him drop it now), he might as well have her formally apologize right?

 

            “Do you truly understand why I was upset mom? To make a proper apology, you have to understand how you had hurt the other person.”

 

            “Were you upset because I took advantage of Tadashi’s position as an eager-to-please boyfriend? And his kind nature?”

 

            Hiro bit his lip, rendered silent for a couple of seconds. Sometimes, his mother was too perceptive for her own good. Add that on top of her nosiness and you got a terrifying combination.

 

            “Yeah, you got the general idea. Tadashi’s just…a very sweet person through and through, unlike me and you. He goes above and beyond to please and help everyone. It hurts me to know that you took advantage of him. Maybe you didn’t mean it at the time…because I know how you sometimes speak before you think mom…but yeah, it still hurt my feelings.”

 

            “I see. Hiro, I really am sorry. And I know it was a very back-handed way of invading your privacy too, so…I’m sorry about that as well.”

 

            Mrs. Takachiko really sounded like she was sorry; Hiro was also grateful that she didn’t tag on justifications for her actions in her apology. Hiro figured that she definitely had a list of justifications somewhere in her mind (because mothers  _always_  did), but he was still glad that she had enough restraint to not say them out-loud at least. Hiro nodded his head slowly, silently accepting her long-overdue-but-nonetheless-appreciated apology.

 

            “I don’t know why I’m telling you this but…well, your nosiness was good for one thing,” Hiro said, lips curling up in a small smile despite the fact that he should’ve probably been more annoyed than amused at the moment. He’d be the better person this time and meet his mother half-way. “It allowed me to be honest with him about…you-know-what. We hadn’t ever gotten around to talking about it until you pretty much forced us to. So we’re on the same page now at least.”

 

             _Versus me trying to seduce him when I was half-drunk because that turned out so well_  Hiro thought ironically.

 

            “I humbly accept your implied thanks,” Mrs. Takachiko joked lightly. Hiro couldn’t help but chuckle in response himself. “I glad that you were finally able to talk to Tadashi about it. I bet you were getting impatient with Tadashi weren’t you?”

           

            “Mom…” Hiro warned. He couldn’t deny that she hit the nail right on the head though, much to his embarrassment.

 

            “Ahh…I was just like you when I was your age…Your father was a little too oblivious at times too and it was unbelievably frustrating.”

 

            “I do NOT need to know this…please spare me the details.” Hiro groaned. Just like any other child, Hiro  _really_  didn’t need or want to know about his parents’ love life.

 

            “Alright alright, I’ll stop. But anyway, is there anything I can do to help you Hiro? Maybe…I could get you a bigger bed or something? I don’t think that twin-size bed was made for two people.”

 

            Hiro was grateful that his mother couldn’t see his face; he was sporting a bright,  _very_ red blush at the moment because of his mother’s utter shamelessness. He forgot to mention that about his mother: if you added her level of shamelessness to her nosy and perceptive nature, you got an unbeatable force. Hiro honestly didn’t know how his father dealt with it for as long as he did.

 

            But the worse part about the current situation was that he couldn’t even find it in himself to refuse her offer; ever since he had spent the weekend with Tadashi, he had been mulling over the exact same idea. As much as he loved cuddling with Tadashi, he knew that a twin-size bed wouldn’t serve them well in the long run. Still, to hear it spoken out-loud, by his mother no less, made Hiro feel like he should just hide away in a cave for the rest of his life.

 

            “Actually, that would be…nice. My mattress is getting a little old…” Hiro replied when he found his voice again. “But can we afford such a thing? How’s our budget this month?”

 

            “Of course we can Hiro,” Mrs. Takachiko said reassuringly. “Our budget is looking fine this month and really, it’s the least I can do for my only son. I’ll try to finalize the details with you sometime this week, because god knows that I’ll be too busy to even call you and talk for 5 minutes soon. How does that sound?”

 

            “Sounds good mom. Thank you.”

 

            “You take care of yourself now ok? I’ll talk to you soon.”

 

            “You too mom. Bye.”

 

            “Oh Hiro, I forgot to mention...I’m  _so_  proud of you. I wish you the best of luck with everything ok?”

 

            Hiro once again found himself feeling mildly confused, not to mention embarrassed because was there some underlying message in his mom’s words or was it just him? When did his mother ever say such things to him anyway? In fact, this was probably the closest thing to “I love you” that his mother had ever said in recent years. His mother had never been the affectionate type; rather, Hiro’s father was. Needless to say, Hiro didn’t quite know how to feel.

 

            “Thanks mom…” Hiro said softly. He settled on simply feeling grateful, for now anyway. There would always be time to figure out his feelings later. And if his mother’s words had any hidden meaning to them (which they probably did but Hiro didn’t want to think about it at the very moment).

 

            “Goodbye now. Sweet dreams.” Mrs. Takachiko said before she promptly hung up.

 

            Seconds after his mother hung up, Hiro once again felt tiredness hit him, so he quickly got out of bed to brush his teeth and clean up. He then turned off the lights and lay in bed, replaying the conversation he had just had with his mother in his mind. He did this for a couple of minutes before he peacefully drifted off to sleep.

 

            In comparison, Hiro’s mother stayed awake for a good amount of time after the phone call; she still had some last minute things to do after all. However, her mind wasn’t really all that focused on her work; rather her mind was mostly focused on how Hiro had acted the whole time he was on the phone with her.

 

            Mrs. Takachiko couldn’t help but smile softly to herself, happy to see just how much her son had grown in the past couple of months.

 

            She had been meaning to apologize to Hiro (like she had apologized to Tadashi) for a good amount of time, but she was admittedly fearful that he’d be particularly bristly and be unwilling to listen to her, let alone accept her apology. Thus, she held her tongue for a little while, knowing that her son would eventually cool down about the whole thing. Hiro was sensitive in many ways, but he wasn’t sensitive in the sense that he’d remember exactly how every little thing made him feel and grow bitter in consequence; Hiro both forgave and forgot. In this case, Mrs. Takachiko waited for both things to happen. 

 

            That wasn’t to say that Mrs. Takachiko thought that it was going to be smooth-sailing. She had fully expected Hiro to be really annoyed with her and to ask her to leave him alone to his thoughts for a few days; that had always been Hiro’s general way of handling “arguments”. But to her utmost surprise, that didn’t happen; her predictions turned out to be completely wrong. Sure, there were times in their conversation when Hiro clearly wasn’t amused (such as the time when she brought up the fact that he must had been getting impatient with waiting for Tadashi and when she started talking about her own story with his father), but he never actually got really annoyed, not even once. In addition, she knew that Hiro had met her half-way when he disclosed his “gratitude” for her nosiness. In the past, Mrs. Takachiko was sure that Hiro would have never admitted that any good came out of her meddling and would’ve insisted that she swear to never do it again.

 

            Not that she should meddle the way she did ever again, but that was beside the point.

 

            Mrs. Takachiko wasn’t quite sure when Hiro started becoming more empathetic and more…accommodating (was that the right word?), but she could say that she hoped that these traits were here to stay. Sure, a bristly Hiro was more fun to mess with (yeah she was pretty mean wasn’t she?), but she knew that Hiro learning to be more forgiving and less spiteful was better for him in the long run. Of course, Hiro still had that bristly edge to him (which was good because that meant that people wouldn’t take advantage of him), but it was clear that he was getting smarter about using it now.

 

            “Maybe Tadashi rubbed off on him more than I thought…and just how cute was it when he said that Tadashi was a sweet person through and through? I’ve NEVER seen him be so fond of anything before…not even his favorite robots when he was a kid,” Mrs. Takachiko said to no one in particular as she typed away at her powerpoint presentation. “And man was he fond of those robots…at some point I suspected he’d choose them over me.”

 

            Right as Mrs. Takachiko finished the last few words on her presentation, she reflected on how Hiro had reacted to her words about being proud of him. She knew that she must have left him feeling quite confused, for a variety of reasons. But the words needed to be said. 

 

            Despite not always communicating the fact, Mrs. Takachiko had always been proud of Hiro. It was no mystery that Hiro was at least ten times more intelligent and talented than she was; he was so intelligent and talented in fact, that Mrs. Takachiko knew that Hiro had the potential to change the world. Now what parent wouldn’t be proud of that?

 

            However, she had been worried about Hiro’s emotional intelligence and his ability to form meaningful interpersonal relationships with other people. As Hiro was growing up, she noticed that he often preferred the presence of his robots over the presence of other people and it made her worry. To be fair, Mrs. Takachiko had never found the task of interacting with people easy to conquer either. She wasn’t cold-hearted per say, but she knew that she could be insensitive at times and her perfectionist nature often made her very critical, which made forming relationships with people difficult. But in the end, she was very lucky to have found someone like her husband to love her for who she was and to help her develop her socializing skills.

 

            Mrs. Takachiko had feared, for a long long time, that Hiro wouldn’t be as lucky.

           

            But it turned out that Hiro had found someone who could do the same for him as his father did for Mrs. Takachiko, and he did it all on his own. To be fair, Tadashi was amazingly kind-hearted and probably let a couple of things slide that a lot of other people wouldn’t have, but Mrs. Takachiko knew that Hiro must have worked hard for Tadashi’s attention and affection, one way or another. Even though there was probably some component of luck involved, Hiro fully deserved the happy circumstances he found himself in now.

 

            Well, she sure hoped that he thought that way anyway. She couldn't be 100% sure. 

 

            And on top of all of that, she had come to realize just how much Hiro was still growing. In fact, she suspected that Hiro would get better at the whole empathy/compassion business than she ever had; in consequence, she could only say that she was beyond happy about it all.

           

            “Your father would’ve been proud of you too Hiro.” Mrs. Takachiko said as she took a much needed stretch. Mrs. Takachiko briefly glanced out her window, admiring the clear night sky, before turning her attention back to her computer.

 

            “Alright, now that I have gotten all that cheesy emotional stuff and boring academic stuff out of the way, time to get my son a nice big bed so that he can finally get laid!” Mrs. Takachiko declared loudly, once again to no one in particular. Mrs. Takachiko tended to do that a lot; it came with working long hours into the night. 

 

            A couple of hundred miles away, Tadashi sneezed.

           

            TBC

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this is a less-than-stellar update to my series (although man that ending I can die from laughter lolololl). I promise that I am working on the rest of it though! And it will have Hidashi goodness! XDDDD LOTS AND LOTS of it~ *shot*
> 
> I’m not sure how many of you guys follow me on Tumblr, but I went through a lot of unnecessary emotional crap in September (if you’re REMOTELY curious, my personal posts are still up so if you want to read about it, be my guest), which unfortunately got in the way of my writing. Then my new rotation site happened in October and ate up a lot of my time too…so yeah orz I’ve been all over the place recently and I’m sorry about that.
> 
> Though I HAVE uploaded quite a few new pictures on my Tumblr, so if you want to see how else I have wasted time and effort, please check them out! *shot*
> 
> But anyway…some of you (if not ALL of you) are probably wondering why the hell is Hiro’s mom apologizing for what happened in “Birthday Surprises” NOW of all times (it has been like, almost a month lol). Well, the honest truth behind that is that I had originally planned for her to apologize at the end of Birthday surprises (as in I had planned to write a Part 3 to that particular installment), but one way or another, I ended up not doing it. Unfortunately, I realized that to get the story where I want it to be now, I had to write this. Of course, it would’ve been a million times easier if I had written it when I was supposed to (you know, before I wrote Installment 8 *cries*), but you know, I like making things hard for myself lolololol orz
> 
> Trust me when I say this, this chapter was VERY different in its original form. Hiro was a lot more angry and annoyed in the original LOL. Which I mean, would’ve been more in character for him I feel (orz he’s so zen in this chapter it’s almost strange…) but…alas I can only do my best to try to rectify my careless mistake. 
> 
> Hopefully this sort of thing won’t happen again. I’ll try my best next time to assure it doesn’t happen lol. 
> 
> You may also find it strange that Hiro's mom is being so...instigative XDD  
> Well I can tell you...the friend who I use as reference for this story went through something kinda similar. Like her mom made her change rooms and beds and everything ever since she got a boyfriend. My friend doesn't even have sex in mind yet her mom made all the appropriate arrangements LOL  
> Parents are SOO weird. Sometimes they're all up in your business about being safe and smart about sex and the next they're helping you out. :||| Like it's so weird...
> 
> But in other news, Hiro’s so difficult to write…but he’s quite interesting and wonderful to write at the same time. The following chapters of this installment will mainly focus on him and his thoughts actually. I hope that it won’t seem too weird and different. But yeah, I just wanted to put that out there just in case you might feel like my narrative voice has completely changed. XD. Or my characterizations for that matter too I guess orz 
> 
> But yeah, I hope I can do Hiro’s character justice. He is going through quite a bit of character development actually and I really like it. I definitely look forward to writing from Hiro’s perspective more.
> 
> TL;DR: I’m really sorry for my lack of updates. Hopefully this installment will be finished soon! OTL Thanks guys!
> 
> Once again, come find me on Rl4r.tumblr.com!!! I’m always lurking around (cuz I have no lifeeeeeee *punted*) and I’d love to hear what you guys thinks. Thank you in advance!


	2. Part Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Hiro is kind of thirsty but Tadashi remains as clueless as ever.
> 
> Aka I've been mean to Tadashi for so long, I guess it's time for me to be mean to Hiro. Aha! (Why can't I just not be mean to anyone? Like really though.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I write too much damn exposition. Ugh. I’m sorry to all of you guys. OTL But I feel like my brain has to have every little detail figured out. /sigh  
> So once again, this is still kind of a set-up for the ACTUAL bloody beach scene (Part One was a set up for this and Installment 10). But I promise you, there really won’t be much exposition after this…and if there is I give you all the permission to whack me with a stick orz. No like for real, please whack me. 
> 
> The next chapter (which should be the final one really) will mostly feature the nerd gang having fun and Hiro + Tadashi being all cute together…you know, more than usual that is. XD
> 
> I’m kind of really busy this week though, so I apologize in advance if I don't get to it for awhile. 
> 
> I thank you all for your patience. Seriously. I’m the worst I know.

Part 2

 

        Mrs. Takachiko kept true to her word about getting back to Hiro within the week. Hiro found himself waiting for the arrival of his new bed frame and his new mattress (Queen-sized) come Friday; his expected window of delivery time was from 12:30 PM to 3:30 PM. Despite the expected delivery time being in the afternoon, Hiro was up and going by 8 in the morning, busy with moving his furniture around, removing his old mattress from his old bed frame, and dismantling said bed frame afterwards. He had no idea how his mother had gotten such a narrow time-window for delivery, but he was not complaining; the last thing he wanted was to waste a perfectly good day waiting for one delivery (even if it was a big delivery) versus actually utilizing the day to its full potential and being productive. 

 

        Especially since he'd be going away for the weekend. Again. 

 

        Well, to be fair, Hiro could’ve have totally refused to go on the weekend trip; Hiro knew that Tadashi and his other friends wouldn’t force him to go anywhere if he really didn't want to go. That being said, Hiro hardly wanted to be the only one out of the group to say no to a weekend trip to Fred's parent's private island. The private island was apparently super fun and really pretty; Fred had been itching to bring all of them to the island for _months_ and his parents had finally given him the ok to go. It was a rare opportunity; Fred himself hadn't been on the island for a couple of years. 

 

        Fred had first shot them the news via text Tuesday morning; out of all of them, Gogo and Honey Lemon seemed the most interested in going. The ladies' enthusiasm and excitement then transferred over to Wasabi and Tadashi when the group of friends met up for an impromptu study session Wednesday afternoon. Thus, by the time Tadashi brought up the whole topic again when he came over for dinner on Thursday, Hiro could not find it in his heart to make the decision to not go on the trip.

 

        Even if he didn't really swim all that well, didn't really have any interest in any beach sports (or sports in general really, the exception being soccer), and hated being out in the sun for too long because he burned like a lobster. Hiro also had a particular aversion to sand due to its tendency to cling to his skin and clothes (weird, he knew, but unfortunately true all the same); needless to say, a beach was not exactly the best place to go to if one wanted to avoid sand. Since he was amongst the smallest in the group, Hiro also figured that if anyone was going to be playfully buried under sand (and be given a mermaid tail or fake breasts for that matter), it'd be him. If that was to transpire, he would probably have to deal with sleeping with sand in his bed for a couple of weeks, which did NOT sound all that fun.  

 

        But disappointing an enthusiastic puppy had never been one of his hobbies; Tadashi's sad face (not his fake sad pouting face mind you) was not something Hiro took pleasure in seeing. On the other hand, Hiro really did enjoy the loving hug Tadashi gave him when he agreed to go. He also did enjoy seeing how excited his friends got when they broke the news to them as well. 

 

 _Oh what I do for the sake of companionship_  Hiro thought.

 

        Well, although it may have been a sacrifice of sorts on his end, Hiro knew that deep down, he would regret disappointing his friends more than he'd ever regret losing two days of productivity. So in the end, Hiro really wasn't too upset; in addition, he was sure that his friends appreciated his efforts, even if they didn't explicitly say it out loud. You took what you can get, as they say. 

 

        After everyone made the initial decision to go, the group of friends had then agreed to depart come early Saturday morning over a brief video-chat session; upon Fred's humble request, Healthcliffe accepted the task of coming by to pick everyone up in their respective households and dropping them off at the port where they would take a small private ship to the island. Before everyone logged off for the night, the group of friends determined the order in which they’d be picked up; the order ended up being Gogo, Honey, Wasabi, Tadashi, and then Hiro.

 

        After Tadashi left for the night, Hiro got a better idea for their travel plans on Saturday; that is, he planned to invite Tadashi to stay over for the night on Friday. It would mean one less trip for Heathcliffe and probably 20 more minutes of sleep for Hiro (and everyone else really) in the morning. Which wasn't all that much, but Hiro would take it; moreover, he'd probably need Tadashi's help in setting up his new bed (fully making a bed by yourself was never an easy task), so inviting him over was, quite pragmatically speaking, killing two birds with one stone. 

 

        Actually, now that Hiro thought about it, he also really wanted to see Tadashi's surprised face at his new bed and test out how much better the two would sleep together on a bigger bed too. So in actuality, inviting Tadashi over was more like killing four birds with one stone, not two. _Wow that sounded more intelligent in my head_ Hiro thought, laughing at himself. But was there any other way of explaining it? No, not really. 

 

        Long story short, it had kind of been a crazy week for Hiro. Well, craziness came with having friends, a boyfriend, and his kind of mother he supposed. It wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

 

        Around 1:30, Hiro received a phone call from the mattress company's delivery service that they'd arrive at his house shortly; after Hiro hung up, he promptly texted Tadashi with his idea.

 

_Come over and stay at my place for the night (it'll be easier for Healthcliffe tomorrow)? Besides, I have a surprise for you, and I can only show you at my place._

 

        Hiro didn't like to admit it, but he didn't quite realize how suggestive his text sounded until he had already sent it; unfortunately, Hiro didn't have much time to flip out over it before Tadashi replied with a simple, "Ok Hiro. That sounds good. I'll let Fred know. I'll see you around 2:15-ish ok? Love you~ : )". Hiro was surprised to find himself feeling both relieved and mildly disappointed at Tadashi's objective reaction; on one hand, he was glad that he wouldn't have to explain himself but on the other, perhaps this meant that Tadashi truly was particularly clueless when it came to subliminal/subtle flirting. 

 

        Before Hiro could ruminate on that possibility (and its mostly frustrating implications), his doorbell rang, signaling the arrival of his rather large package. Hiro hurriedly dumped his phone into the side pocket of his cargo pants before he rushed downstairs to open his front door.

 

        Thankfully, the delivery guys were rather nice about the whole process; Hiro had admittedly been a little nervous, as this was the first time he was handling such a task on his own. They helped Hiro get rid of his old mattress and helped to carry his old, already-dismantled bed frame into his garage before they brought up all the new stuff. After about 15 minutes of collective work, everything that needed to be out of the house was out and everything that needed to be in the house was in; Hiro tipped the delivery workers graciously and threw in a couple of cold drinks for them, much to their delight. After a polite goodbye from both parties, Hiro was once again left to his own devices. 

 

        Having constructed complex, fully functioning robots since he was a young child, Hiro had no difficulty in assembling the bed frame on his own; in fact, he threw in a couple of adjustments as he went along, just for the hell of it. He was just finishing up when Tadashi texted him that he'd be arriving soon. Not wanting to be sweaty and smelly when he greeted his boyfriend, Hiro cleaned up his tools and went to take a quick 5-minute shower.

 

        Unfortunately for Hiro, Tadashi rang the doorbell right as Hiro stepped out from the shower; despite being quick on his feet, Hiro still took a good solid minute drying off, getting dressed and going downstairs to open the door. Tadashi couldn't quite resist teasing Hiro about the delay right off the bat, even though it was obvious what Hiro must had been doing because his hair was visibly wet.

 

        "When you made that off-handed joke about taking your time opening the door for me last week, I thought you were playfully joking." Tadashi said, fondly ruffling Hiro's hair. Hiro noticed that Tadashi was carrying a fairly large, dark green duffel-bag; Hiro made a mental note to ask Tadashi to help him pack later, seeing as he hadn't started just yet. 

 

        "Yeah well, who told you to catch me in the middle of a shower? It was totally your own fault." Hiro replied, smiling up at Tadashi.

 

        "Why were you taking a shower? Don't you usually shower in the morning or at night time?"

 

        "You'll see exactly why once you get upstairs to my bedroom!" 

 

        Hiro didn't realize that his statement was, once again, quite suggestive until it had already flown out of his mouth and was entirely unretractable; Hiro mentally kicked himself for dropping two such statements so effortlessly over the course of an hour (like really Hiro, control yourself for Pete's sake). But unlike the first instance, Hiro happily accepted the fact that Tadashi seemed completely unfazed by what he had said and simply smiled in response to Hiro's enthusiasm. 

 

        "Sure thing. Lead the way." Tadashi said as he stepped into the garage so that Hiro could close the door behind him. Hiro sighed in relief as he closed his door and locked it. _Maybe I'm just thinking WAY too deeply into this_ Hiro thought.  _That or maybe Tadashi truly is just the purest cinnamon roll in the world...and I'm burdened with the awful task of tainting his purity. What is my life? I think I can cry._

 

        "Thanks for coming Tadashi," Hiro said smoothly, despite the slightly frazzled thoughts that were shooting through his head at the moment. The two started walking into Hiro's house and up the stairs that led to Hiro’s room. "I probably should've asked you this before but, is it really ok for you to stay over? I'm not stealing one of Aunt Cass' best workers from under her nose am I?"

 

        "Oh, it's not a big deal. So I have great news to tell you about the cafe," Tadashi replied. "Aunt Cass thought long and hard about our suggestion to close up the cafe earlier after the craziness of the convention, and now our hours have officially changed! We close at 8 now instead of 10."

 

        "Oh, that's...great! But are the other employees ok with that? I'm guessing some of them may be losing hours." 

 

        "Oh we have all that figured out, more or less. If anything, they can pick up some of my shifts."

 

        "Ah."

 

        Hiro and Tadashi reached the end of the stairs right as Hiro acknowledged Tadashi's words; Tadashi let out a low whistle of wonder as he gazed upon Hiro's "surprise". 

 

        "When in the world did you get that?" Tadashi asked, addressing both the bed frame and the mattress that was laying against the wall. Hiro chuckled.

 

        "Just a few minutes before you arrived actually. Um...hence why I took a shower...because I was a little sweaty and gross from helping the delivery guys out and assembling the bed frame by myself."

 

        "I’m very surprised Hiro, congratulations," Tadashi complimented, once again ruffling Hiro's hair fondly. "Guess you went and got the bigger bed first huh?

 

        "Yeah. You can thank my mom for it really. She paid for it and arranged for it to be delivered." 

 

        Out of everything Hiro had said that day, he was surprised to see Tadashi blush (a little) at his comment about his mother being the mastermind behind the whole operation.  Of all things he could have possibly blushed at, he blushed at that? Tadashi sure was confusing at times.

 

        "I-I see. Um, I'll be sure to send her my regards." Tadashi said softly as he scratched the back of his neck, an undeniable gesture of embarrassment; it was obvious what Tadashi must have been thinking about the minute Hiro mentioned his mom. Hiro almost face-palmed but resisted the urge to do so lest he started getting embarrassed himself and made the atmosphere even more awkward than it already was. 

 

        "Please don't. You'll inflate her ego too much and she won't ever stop teasing you about it. Trust me, save yourself the trouble." Hiro deadpanned. He was glad to see his words snap Tadashi out of his embarrassed mood.

 

        "Ok, if you say so."

 

        "Anyhoo, I may have assembled the frame easily enough, but making my bed isn't something I can easily do on my own. Care to help me?" Hiro asked. Tadashi chuckled softly in response.

 

        "Seeing as this is where I'll be sleeping tonight, I don't really have a choice, do I?" Tadashi joked lightly as he placed his duffel-bag in an empty corner. Hiro scowled.

 

        "Gee, you say it as if I’m forcing you to do this." Hiro replied, faking hurt. 

 

        "Haha. Aww, I didn't mean it like that. I'd be glad to help you." 

 

        "I know you didn't. And thanks. I appreciate it." 

 

        Tadashi leaned in to quickly kiss Hiro on the lips; Hiro giggled softly and happily before he affectionately swatted Tadashi's face away. As much as Hiro would have loved to spend more time kissing Tadashi, they had work to do. Besides, there would always be time for it later, right? 

 

        First, the two worked together to maneuver the mattress onto the finished bed frame. After doing that, they then changed the pillow covers of Hiro's pillows and tossed the old pillow covers into Hiro's hamper to wash later. Hiro then made a short journey to his mother's room and took out everything he would need to make his bed from one of her closets; after Hiro made his way back, the two quickly went to work. Hiro had to admit, having Tadashi do something as seemingly monotonous as making a bed with him was quite nice; the atmosphere that hung between them was nice and calm. The calmness was only ever broken by a few playful jabs the two had for one another, but Hiro wouldn't have had it any other way. 

 

        "By the way, I call first dibs on jumping onto the mattress." Hiro said as he started putting the fitted sheet on.  

 

        "Be my guest," Tadashi said, chuckling at Hiro's interesting declaration. When he noticed that Hiro was done on his side, he moved to the other side of the mattress to help lift it up again. "After all, it's your bed not mine." 

 

        "Just needed to make sure I established first dibs. You have no idea how often my mother would jump on my bed after we cleaned the sheets, stealing the opportunity from me right under my nose."

 

        "Wow," Tadashi replied, laughing in delight. "It's a little hard imagining your mother jumping onto your bed Hiro. She's that fun-spirited?"

 

        "Oh yeah...when it comes to this kind of stuff, she's a complete trickster at heart." Hiro explained. He then pulled out a clean white top sheet from the pile he had brought over from his mom’s room and fluffed it up until it fell neatly on the bed.

           

        “I have a feeling that part of the reason why she loved doing that was to just mess with you.” Tadashi replied as he helped Hiro make hospital corners and tuck them in underneath the mattress.

           

        “Yeah, pretty much. Unbelievable right?”

           

        “Yes, completely so.” Tadashi chuckled.

           

        The two finished up their task by placing a thin summer blanket on top of the now made bed. Right as Tadashi fixed up the very last corner of the blanket, Hiro threw himself, back first, onto the bed, just as he had promised he would. Hiro made a satisfied sort of sound as he wiggled his arms and legs deeper into the blanket.

           

        “Hey, I just made it all straight and pretty!” Tadashi joked lightly, grabbing one of the two pillows they had prepared earlier from Hiro’s computer chair and throwing it onto Hiro’s stomach.

           

        “Oh boo-hoo, cry me a river.” Hiro said cheekily before he tossed the pillow back at Tadashi. His aim was absolutely awful however; he missed Tadashi by a good couple of inches.

           

        “Why you little…” Tadashi said before he threw himself onto the bed as well, pinning Hiro underneath him. He then tickled Hiro’s sides and his armpits.

           

        “GAH. N-NOO FAIR!” Hiro squealed as he tried to escape Tadashi’s clutches. His efforts were in vain though; he wasn't as strong as Tadashi was after all. All too soon, Hiro felt soreness in his cheeks and sides that only ever came from laughing too hard; in addition, his eyes had become watery with tears. 

           

        “Oh boo-hoo, cry me a river.” Tadashi parroted as he finally stopped tickling Hiro ( _what a little shit_ Hiro thought). Tadashi then pulled Hiro into a tight warm hug, effectively smooshing Hiro further into the mattress.

           

        “What are you trying to do now? Make a pancake out of your boyfriend?” Hiro wheezed from underneath Tadashi.

           

        “A pancake would be tastier wouldn't it?" 

           

        "If you don't get off me before my organs explode, you'll find out soon enough!" 

             

        Tadashi laughed airily before lifting himself off of Hiro, who took a deep breath of much needed oxygen the minute Tadashi backed off.

           

        "You're evil, you know that?" Hiro whispered softly. He pouted petulantly. "You didn't need to hug me so tightly." 

           

        "I know. You're just so adorable that I lose control of myself sometimes..." Tadashi whispered fondly, nuzzling his face against Hiro's cheek. _He really is just like a puppy...a puppy on his first day to a new home_ Hiro thought exasperatedly. 

           

        "Gee, should I be scared or turned on by that statement?" Hiro joked sarcastically before he affectionately swatted Tadashi's face away for the second time that day. Now it was Tadashi's turn to pout.

           

        "Wow, way to make it weird," Tadashi said dryly. Hiro giggled at Tadashi's tone. "I wasn't even thinking of that when I said what I said."

           

        "But you're my boyfriend Tadashi!" Hiro gushed. "If you don't turn me on who else would?"

           

        "Hiro!"  

           

        "Aww, are you blushing?" 

           

        "...Well after what you just said, how could I not? You say such embarrassing things." Tadashi said, his cheeks getting rosier by the second. He gave up on trying to beat down his blush and simply settled on burying his face into Hiro's shirt. 

           

        Hiro remained silent for a few seconds before he started talking again.

           

        "Guess I'm in the same boat as you," Hiro whispered softly. He soothingly patted Tadashi's head as he spoke. "You're so adorable that I lose control of myself sometimes..."

           

        Tadashi couldn't help but snort (rather loudly in fact) at Hiro's choice of words. He raised his face from his boyfriend's chest, smiling at Hiro.

           

        "You're evil, you know that?" 

           

        "Oh, I know." Hiro said casually, as if Tadashi had just told him the weather. Hiro then formed a “mouth” with his index finger and thumb and "gnawed" Tadashi's nose, making quiet sound effects all the while.  

           

        The two burst out into charmed laughter before Hiro placed a chaste kiss on each of Tadashi's cheeks. Tadashi blinked bemusedly at Hiro. 

           

        "I'm not one to complain about receiving kisses, but...what did I do to deserve such an honor?" Tadashi asked, tenderly stroking Hiro's cheek. 

           

        "It's a secret~" Hiro whispered. In case anyone was curious though, it was payback for Tadashi offering to not bother him for a couple of days so that Hiro could regain his socializing energy. Granted, because of Fred's crazy idea and timing, Tadashi ended up talking with Hiro again really soon anyway. Still, the thought was still worth rewarding. 

           

        Tadashi chuckled good-naturedly (he didn't press for any more details) before he settled down on the bed next to Hiro. The two spent the next minute simply staring at the other, waiting to see who would break eye contact first; in the end, Hiro buckled first and buried his face against Tadashi's chest, sighing happily after he did so. Tadashi then started stroking Hiro's hair soothingly; Hiro fell completely silent within a few seconds. 

             

        "Sleepy Hiro?" Tadashi whispered.

             

        "Kind of...I'd be down for a nap," Hiro replied. He had been awake since 8 after all; tiredness had finally caught up to him he supposed. "Um...if it's alright with you?" 

             

        "Of course it is. I'm not going anywhere until tomorrow morning anyway, right?"

             

        "Well that may be true...but you might have wanted to...I don't know, go for your daily afternoon run or something for all I knew, so it was only polite to ask," Hiro said, sticking out the very tip of his tongue at Tadashi. Tadashi chuckled. "I wouldn't want you to do something as boring as nap with me when it's barely three in the afternoon." 

               

        "True. But no amount of nice weather could be better than spending time with you."

             

        Upon hearing Tadashi's words and seeing his tender expression, Hiro blushed and shyly looked away. Hiro couldn't quite help but chuckle (mentally that is) at the irony; if there was one sure way for Tadashi to get Hiro all wound-up and flustered, it was just being the sweet guy that he always was. That is, what truly got Hiro's heart pumping fast wasn't even anything remotely sexual; rather it was all the sweet words that Tadashi delivered, seemingly effortlessly really, in his direction. That thought alone made him feel even less sure about going through with what he wanted.

               

        "Ok then. I'll go and lower the shades." Hiro said softly. He needed a moment to clear his head and ensure that his cheeks weren't too red lest Tadashi got a glimpse of what he was thinking. 

 

        And he needed to get the pillows, one of which was still on the floor.

               

        "'Kay~" Tadashi cooed, kissing Hiro on his ear affectionately before Hiro rolled away in the direction of his windows. 

               

        When Hiro returned from lowering the shades (he was much more calm after doing so), he placed the pillows on the bed, scooted underneath his blanket and then rolled onto his left side; Tadashi, on the other hand, simply sidled up to Hiro's curled form and wrapped his arms around him.

               

        "You sure you don't want to get underneath the blanket?" Hiro asked, yawning a small yawn. Tadashi nodded his head.

               

        "Yeah, I'm fine with staying out of it. Besides, it's not every day I get to hug a burrito version of my boyfriend."

               

        Hiro took two seconds to process Tadashi's statement before he made a sound that was a cross between a snort and a cough. 

               

        "Pfffttt. You goof." Hiro giggled. 

               

        “How do you even deal with me?" Tadashi asked rhetorically.

               

        "What, are you anticipating my words now?" Hiro mumbled, tilting his head a little so that he could see Tadashi out of the corner of his eye and mock-glare at him suspiciously.

               

        "I guess so...because I know you SO well now." Tadashi whispered, releasing Hiro from his tight hold so that he could playfully poke Hiro's cheek.

               

        "Mmm..." Hiro grunted, not really signaling agreement or disagreement. Rather, he was honestly just tired at this point; thankfully, Tadashi caught on to that fact very quickly.

               

        “Oh! Right, you need your sleep. I’ll shut up now.”

               

        “Sweet dreams.” Hiro mumbled, once again yawning a small yawn before he turned his back to Tadashi again. Tadashi had to resist the urge to laugh, because Hiro wiggling under the blanket made him look like some sort of overgrown caterpillar. A cute overgrown caterpillar that is.

               

        “Yeah, sweet dreams Hiro.” Tadashi replied.

               

        For one reason or another, Hiro slept for a long time; in comparison, Tadashi woke up from his nap an hour-and-a-half later. Not wanting to disturb Hiro (Tadashi was delighted to discover that because the bed was so big, extracting himself from Hiro didn’t instantly wake him up anymore), Tadashi took out a book he had brought with him and started quietly reading at Hiro’s computer desk. It wasn’t like Hiro could’ve known, but at some point, Tadashi considered waking Hiro up lest he wouldn't be able to sleep come bedtime. However, it had taken only one look at the peaceful face of his boyfriend for Tadashi to completely dismiss that idea. No, there was no way he could find it in his heart to do such a thing. Instead, Tadashi headed downstairs to prepare dinner, allowing Hiro to sleep to his heart’s content. He really did hope that Hiro would wake up soon though; they had to be up early tomorrow morning after all.

           

        Hiro didn’t stir from his nap until 30 minutes after Tadashi left to go downstairs. At first, Hiro was tempted to go back to sleep; he could still see the very last fragments of his dream on his eyelids and he didn’t want to let them go. But when Hiro felt that Tadashi was no longer beside him, he came to realize, to some extent, just how long he must have slept; he promptly opened his eyes and threw himself back into reality.

           

        “…Tadashi?” Hiro whispered, just to make sure that his boyfriend was indeed no longer in bed with him. Hiro’s question was met with silence.

 

        As his senses started up again, Hiro came to notice the pleasant aroma of freshly cooked rice that was wafting into his room and the distant sound of something being cooked on the stove. He groaned softly into his hands.

           

        “He went to make dinner for us didn’t he? Man I’m the worst, making the guest cook.” Hiro muttered to himself as he wiggled out from underneath his summer blanket. Guilt gnawed at his stomach. Tadashi was probably finished with dinner preparations already (judging by the fact that the rice was already cooked), but Hiro figured that he should still get himself downstairs as soon as possible anyway. Maybe he could help with setting up the table or something; one way or another, Hiro needed to get to Tadashi.

           

        But Hiro halted in his mission the minute a soft breeze of cool air blew into his room; to his horror, he realized that he couldn’t quite see Tadashi just yet. Oh no, there was one _little_ thing he needed to take care of first.

 

_Oh man, how am I going to face him now?_

 

TBC

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun dun dun. What was with that ending? LMFAO. Well, one person (other than me of course) knows for sure. xDD. Anyone want to take a guess? I think it’s fairly obvious loolololll. /punted to the moon I’m sorry for doing this to you Hiro lololloll. Please forgive me. *weeps*
> 
> So the ending was a little different from how I had originally envisioned. But why is that so? So I got this really neat ask from someone on my Tumblr for an ask meme the other day; I came to realize that the requested prompt sort of fits into what I was, at the time, writing about. That is, I knew that Hiro was going to be napping, for whatever reason, for a long time; the prompt I received served as a perfect explanation as to why. Thus, I tweaked my ending to reflect this just a little bit. Besides, I'm sure no one would care to read about Hiro packing for the trip. Like really. There's exposition and then there's boring crap like that that no story needs /punts self to the moon 
> 
> The best part about the whole thing is that on top of that particular prompt, I’ve managed to find a way to combine it with an idea that I’ve been meaning to write a LONG time lol. So I’m hella psyched! And I’m sure some of my followers will be too. :) It has been an unmet request for far too long lol 
> 
> Granted, this prompt doesn’t fit into the flow of the current installment, so I’ll probably make it a separate side-thing. So far, it’s looking like it’ll be something I upload specifically to Tumblr. If this is a hassle to any of you guys, please let me know! And I’ll see if it can be something I can upload to Ao3 as well. 
> 
> I don’t know when I’ll get to writing for this prompt, but it’ll be fun, that’s for sure. In fact, it’ll probably help to set the mood for the next installment anyway, so yeah. It’s all good.
> 
> I just wish I wasn’t so busy. /sighs wistfully 
> 
> Once again, come find me on Rl4r.tumblr.com!!! I’m always lurking around (cuz I have no lifeeeeeee *punted*) and I’d love to hear what you guys thinks. Thank you in advance!


	3. Part Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Hiro continues to be thirsty but Tadashi's starting to not be so clueless anymore. Aka Does this mean that our two dorks will finally do the deed already?!
> 
> The answer to that is....no, not in this installment I'm afraid. But soon. I promise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This particular installment is getting a little out of hand in terms of length orz I guess I'm just seriously having WAY too much fun writing Hiro. ahahaa;; Which I suppose isn't necessarily a bad thing??? Because Hiro deserves love too. All of my other installments have really been from Tadashi's point of view after all. 
> 
> I truly am sorry about the slow pace though. Only I would think that it's ok to write about two people applying sunscreen to one another orz orz orz i'm so flipping weird I'm done...
> 
> Hm...maybe I should utilize the ability to upload chapters carefully in the near future. I feel like it's because I know that it's easier to read chunks of 3000+ words chapters versus 11,000 + word completed installments that I'm allowing myself to ramble and deviate a little...it's bad and I should know when to stop lolololll. Yes, it's something I really need to keep in mind in the future. Hopefully no other installment will be this bad though orz

Part 3

            Hiro still couldn't believe what had happened when he took the long nap on Friday; luckily for him, the rest of evening had passed by rather quickly (with Tadashi helping him to pack and all) and uneventfully (Tadashi was none the wiser about what had happened). Still, Hiro lay awake for a couple of hours that night, pondering the significance of what he had dreamed about and what it meant for both him and Tadashi; Tadashi, in comparison, had passed out rather quickly. Hiro wondered if he should just tell Tadashi what he had dreamed about (and what had consequently happened because of it), but insecurity and embarrassment won out over honesty; Hiro simply could not find the courage to tell Tadashi the truth. Hiro felt a little bad about his decision to be dishonest, but he figured that it was for the best. Some things were just better left unsaid. 

 

            Hiro just sincerely hoped that he wouldn't have another dream like that again. He really didn't want to (nor need to for that matter) stomach any more guilt. 

 

            It turned out that Hiro was spared from dreams of any kind that night. It was a good thing too, considering that he had to wake up at 6 in the morning; the last thing he needed was another dream that would delay him in getting ready for the day or that would make things even more awkward for him. For once, Hiro was grateful that he was usually awfully groggy and unresponsive in the morning (having low blood pressure and all), especially when he had to wake up early. It was because of his particular track record that Tadashi left him alone, for the most part, that morning; such an arrangement definitely spared Hiro from saying or doing anything possibly inappropriate, which he appreciated very much given the circumstances. The two went about their morning routine in comfortable silence.

 

            After cleaning up, it was time for breakfast; after accidentally allowing Tadashi to cook dinner the night before, Hiro absolutely refused to let Tadashi prepare anything. Even when Tadashi insisted that he would help just a little (emphasis on "little"), Hiro didn't let up. In the end, Hiro sort of "grounded" Tadashi; that is, he made Tadashi promise him that he'd stay out of the kitchen and stay in Hiro's room instead. To soothe Tadashi (after all, he had only wanted to help and Hiro appreciated it deep down), Hiro gave his boyfriend two light pecks on the cheek before he went down to the kitchen alone. Sometimes, he really wondered how Tadashi dealt with him. 

 

            Hiro ended up preparing a simple breakfast consisting of oatmeal and a choice of bread or a bagel. Unsurprisingly, Hiro started feeding Tadashi oatmeal the minute the two sat down for breakfast; Tadashi, being used to this endearing behavior by now, simply allowed Hiro to do as he pleased. 10 minutes into breakfast, Fred texted them; it turned out that Healthcliffe was ahead of schedule (somehow), which cut into the couple's time for eating breakfast. In consequence, Hiro stopped feeding Tadashi (much to the disappointment of both parties) and started focusing on ensuring that he wouldn't starve for the next couple of hours. Healthcliffe arrived to pick Hiro and Tadashi up 5 minutes later.

 

            The trips to both the port and to the island were rather uneventful; before landing on the island, Fred told them that their first destination would be the vacation house. He wanted to quickly introduce all of them to his parents before he would bring them up to their prepared rooms; everyone in the group agreed to the plan and thanked Fred for all of his hard work. 

 

            "I have two individual rooms prepared for you guys," Fred said, addressing Hiro and Tadashi in particular. "Just in case. However, if you two plan to share one room, that's fine too." 

 

            "We'll probably stay together," Hiro said, looking over at Tadashi, who easily nodded in agreement. "It'll save you some trouble cleaning up and stuff I'm sure." 

 

            "I'm sure the servants will appreciate it," Fred agreed. "But really, if you ever need another room, just know that it's available."

 

            Hiro honestly appreciate the offer. That being said though, Hiro sincerely hoped that he wouldn’t have to take Fred up on it.  _No more inappropriate dreams please_  Hiro thought to himself.

 

            Hiro honestly couldn't remember much about what happened after they docked at the island; everything sort of just became a blur. The group of friends spent a few minutes introducing themselves to Fred's parents before they were whisked away and shown where they'd be staying for the night. After that, everyone spent about 10 minutes packing for the trip down to the beach before heading out. Apparently, Fred had picked out a spot for them on the beach the night before and had servants set up everything at said spot-on-the-beach that morning. When the group of friends arrived to the beach, they were surprised to see that it wasn't entirely deserted; the beach and the boardwalk around it weren't crowded by any means, but there was definitely enough people around to make the atmosphere lively.

 

            "What are all these other people doing here?' Wasabi asked as the group walked on the boardwalk.

 

            "Yeah, I thought that this was a private beach." Gogo added.

 

            "It is private," Fred said cheerfully, receiving a slight glower from Gogo in consequence. "Privately owned I mean. It's just that my parents like having other people on the beach sometimes...It makes it more fun you know? So people can come in and enjoy the beach if they pay an admission fee (Hiro couldn’t help but cringe internally at how high that fee probably was) or if they sign up with certain cruise-line companies that stop by here and whatnot."

 

            "Ah." Gogo acknowledged.

 

            "I don't see any children around though..." Honey piped in. Honey always had a knack for noticing things that other people didn't.

 

            "Yep! This section of the beach is dedicated solely to adults. Families with children can partake in their own festivities on the other side. I don't mind kids but...sometimes hearing a child cry over the ice cream they had accidentally dropped on the sand or whatever can ruin one's sense of relaxation." Fred explained. 

 

            The group of friends muttered their agreement.

 

            “Oh, our spot is just a few seconds away from here. We need to get off the boardwalk now.” Fred said before he went down a short staircase that took them off the boardwalk and put them on pristine white sand. His friends followed shortly after.

 

            As stated before, Hiro wasn’t particularly fond of sand; however, he had to admit that this particular beach wasn’t all that bad from what he could see. According to Fred, maintenance of the beach was taken very seriously; in consequence, the sand was free of any trash or dangerous glass shards and it was totally safe for one to trek the sand without wearing shoes of any kind. Upon hearing that, most of the gang took off and carried their shoes so that they could relish the feeling of going barefoot on clean sand. Hiro was the last of his friends to slip off his sandals, but was pleasantly surprised to find that the sand was crisp beneath his toes and didn’t appear to cling to his skin.  _I could get used to this_  Hiro thought happily.

 

            The group of friends then arrived at Fred’s prepared spot, which was about 10 feet (3 meters) from the water. The beauty of the water rivaled that of the sand; the water was crystal clear and exhibited a beautiful aquamarine color. Hiro took a deep breath in, appreciating the salty smell; he giggled quietly when he noticed Tadashi doing the exact same thing to his right.

 

            “So as you can see, our towels, chairs, and umbrellas are all here,” Fred said as he quickly pointed everything out. “Along with our cooler with drinks and our cooler with food. If you guys want to borrow any equipment…like for snorkeling or surfing for example, the rental shack is 2 minutes away from here, to the right.”

 

            “Surfing? Alright.” Gogo said, cracking her knuckles in excitement.

 

            “You still up for those surfing lessons you owe me Gogo?” Tadashi asked his friend. Gogo simply smirked in response, a silent “yes” to Tadashi’s question. Hiro pointedly didn't make eye-contact with either of them; he had no intention of surfing. 

 

            “Would you like to go snorkeling with me Freddie? Wasabi?” Honey asked. 

 

            “Sure thing Honey! I know the perfect spot for us to go to see stuff! It’s a bit of a walk from here though.” Fred replied. Hiro once again pointedly didn't make eye-contact. He didn't really want to go snorkeling either, or at least not at the moment. 

 

            “That’s ok! We have time.” Honey said cheerfully, taking a brief moment to check the time on her cell phone. It was a little before 10 in the morning.

           

            “Sounds good...but before ANYONE does ANYTHING,” Wasabi announced loudly to his friends. “We all need to put on sunscreen! I’m sure nobody wants to be sunburned…or at least I definitely don’t.”

 

            Everyone burst out laughing at Wasabi’s passionate proclamation but did as they were told; the friends started applying sunscreen on their arms and legs before quickly pairing up (Honey with Gogo, Fred with Wasabi, and Tadashi with Hiro). After pairing up, everyone (excluding Hiro, who was taking his sweet time) stripped off their outerwear and started applying sunscreen to additional places, such as their chests and abdomens. Whoever finished their task first then went on to help their partners apply sunscreen onto their back. In Hiro and Tadashi's case though, Tadashi opted to have Hiro apply sunscreen on him first; Hiro was just going a little too slowly. 

 

            Hiro knew that it was only a matter of time before he’d see Tadashi half-naked (it was a beach day in the middle of July after all). Still, Hiro wasn’t fully prepared for the moment when Tadashi took off his shirt; he had had to briefly turn away to keep his emotions in check. 

 

            Tadashi wasn’t super muscular (not that Hiro would’ve wanted him to be, mind you), but he still had a nice two-pack (was that the correct designation?) going for him; when Tadashi turned around for Hiro to apply sunscreen for him, Hiro decided that Tadashi's back was nicely defined as well (especially around the shoulder blades). On top of all of that (as if Tadashi’s abs and back weren’t enough to process already), Hiro had the chance to fully appreciate the broadness of Tadashi’s shoulders as he worked; they appeared even more broad than they already were when Hiro's hands (and eyes) traveled down to Tadashi's narrow waist. Hiro chuckled in his mind at this particular finding: Tadashi's upper body was shaped like an inverted triangle. Go figure. Hiro also began to really notice the way the tendons of Tadashi's neck became taut when he was inhaled and how they relaxed when he exhaled; some people may have found neck muscles strange to look at, but Hiro didn’t. Rather, it was all quite beautiful to look at actually. 

 

 _In a totally non-creepy way of course_  Hiro thought sarcastically, mentally slapping himself for getting so distracted, by his boyfriend's natural breathing processes no less. Why was he getting so lost in thought? It wasn't like Hiro had never seen Tadashi breathing or the shape of his body before.

 

            Well, to be fair, Hiro never really had the chance to look at Tadashi's neck up-close (he normally woke up after Tadashi when they slept together). In addition, clothes, no matter how form-fitting, never gave a complete picture of the body it hid underneath. In other words, Hiro had always known that Tadashi was physically attractive; he just didn't quite realize the exact degree of Tadashi's physical attractiveness until now. The new knowledge made Hiro giddy; however, the new knowledge made him anxious as well. Hiro did not particularly like the implications of his feelings of anxiousness.  

 

            But Hiro didn't have much time to dwell on his feelings; all too soon, it was Tadashi's turn to help Hiro with applying sunscreen onto his back. Tadashi gazed expectedly at Hiro, patiently waiting for Hiro to strip off his shirt so that Tadashi could do his job. At first, Hiro was tempted to say that he had no intention of swimming and thus wouldn't need the additional protection; it was worth mentioning that saying such a thing wouldn't have been a total lie. However, Hiro ultimately concluded that saying such a thing would make Tadashi more suspicious and concerned than if he didn't, so he remained silent and simply took off his shirt; he pointedly did so with his face turned away from Tadashi though.  _It will be over in less than a minute_  Hiro thought, trying his best to calm his nerves. 

 

            "Make sure that you don't miss any spots...I sunburn super easily..." Hiro mumbled quietly, attempting to distract himself from the feeling of having Tadashi's eyes on his back by making conversation.

 

            “Ok. I will.” Tadashi replied, his voice ever so gentle.  

 

            If Tadashi sensed Hiro's discomfort, he didn't comment on it; Hiro was quite grateful that he didn't. Tadashi worked slowly; he took extra time and care in making sure that the sunscreen wasn't cold to the touch and that he covered every expanse of skin on Hiro's back. When Tadashi's hands traveled downwards towards Hiro's waist, Hiro couldn't help but flinch slightly, fully anticipating a tickle attack given the easy opportunity. However, Tadashi did no such thing and simply continued doing his work, gently and carefully. Hiro sighed quietly in relief; the last thing he needed was jumping 10 feet into the air because Tadashi tickled him.

 

            The light kiss Tadashi placed on his nape came as a surprise though; despite the fact that Hiro didn't jump 10 feet into the air, he visibly shivered and quietly gasped from the pleasurable sensation the kiss generated. Hiro promptly felt his face heat up and his heart start hammering against his chest. There was no way Tadashi couldn't have seen or heard Hiro’s reaction. But what did Tadashi make of it? _Oh god, he probably thinks I’m being all weird again_ Hiro thought, thinking back to the conversation he had with Tadashi yesterday before his nap.

 

            Hiro felt Tadashi step away from him; whether it was in response to his heated reaction or not, Hiro didn’t know (he hoped not though because that would have been sad, in more ways than one). However, Hiro took the opportunity to quickly put back on his shirt before Tadashi could say anything or place any more tantalizing kisses against the back of his neck.

 

            “Um, thanks Tadashi…” Hiro mumbled quickly, willing his face to stop being so red and his heart to stop racing. He still couldn't turn around.

 

            “You’re welcome Hiro.” Tadashi replied from behind him, his voice surprisingly neutral. Hiro couldn’t help but feel a little jealous at how calm Tadashi could be about the whole situation. "Are you going to swim?"

 

            "No, I'll pass,” Hiro said. Being in the water (that is, being within 5 feet of Tadashi) was the last thing he needed right now when his head was getting all fuzzy. “Besides, one of us should stay behind to watch the stuff anyway, so you go off and have fun with everyone."

 

            Hiro knew that Tadashi could’ve easily pointed out that there really was no need for anyone to stay behind to watch the stuff. After all, Fred’s servants had left everything unattended for hours before they showed up and nothing had been stolen or moved. Seagulls may have been a concern if their food wasn’t safely stored in a hard plastic container, but seeing how it was, that wasn’t really an issue either.

 

            All in all, Hiro knew that he was sort of grasping at straws at the moment; he held his breath and awaited Tadashi’s response. After a moment of deliberation, Tadashi responded.

 

            "Well, if you have a change in heart, let one of us know ok? The water looks great and I wouldn't want you to miss out on any fun." Tadashi said gently.

 

 _Something looks great here and it isn't the water_  Hiro couldn't help but think in response to Tadashi’s statement, much to his eternal embarrassment. He couldn’t believe himself sometimes.

 

            Hiro was grateful that Gogo chose that exact moment to call out, “Are you coming or not Hamada? We don’t have all day”. Her stern tone caught Tadashi’s attention long enough for Hiro to compose himself. It seemed that while the two were getting caught up in their own little world (and being awkward together), the rest of the group had finished up their work and had already started walking towards the rental shack to start their day.

 

            “I’ll be right there Gogo!” Tadashi called back loudly. Hiro took the chance to finally turn around and face Tadashi again.

 

            “C’mon, we’re walking. Make sure to follow.” Gogo said, her words quick and to-the-point as always. Hiro couldn’t help but envy Gogo’s knack for speaking her mind.

 

            Tadashi and Hiro shared a brief look. Hiro tilted his head, indicating that Tadashi should probably do as Gogo said; he had no doubt in his mind that she really would leave him behind. It seemed that Tadashi had the same thought because he quickly stood up.

 

            “See you soon Hiro.” Tadashi said softly, bending over slightly so that he could gently ruffle Hiro’s hair.  

 

            "Y-yeah." Hiro mumbled quietly in response. He figured that if he had tried to say more than that, he probably would’ve said something he would regret. With a small wave, Tadashi left to follow Gogo (and the rest of their friends for that matter) to the rental shack. Hiro, on the other hand, remained seated; after sighing deeply, Hiro placed his arms on his knees and hid his face in his arms. He really needed to clear his mind and get his raging feelings under control; if he couldn’t, Hiro was not going to survive the day.  

 

            Now exactly how he was going to do that, Hiro didn’t know for sure. Maybe a walk along the shoreline would help? Maybe listening to the sound of waves washing up against the sand and breathing in the ocean air would soothe him.

 

            “I’ll wait until they come back before I head off I guess…If I leave now it’d only make things more suspicious than they already are.” Hiro reasoned to himself.

 

            Hiro exhaled, feeling tired and slightly frustrated. _This is getting out of hand. I **really** need to talk to Tadashi when I get the chance _ Hiro thought.

 

            Hiro just sincerely hoped that he would have the courage to do so.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can you believe that one of the hardest parts of this update to write was that one little paragraph where Hiro talks about Tadashi's body? XDD True story!
> 
> If you happen to envision Tadashi as having a six pack or something...I'm sorry if I made the personal specification otherwise... I personally don't think that Tadashi is all that muscular; rather I think he's lean and tone...more sinewy than brolic. But hey, this is totally personal opinion and interpretation of his official model...nothing more and nothing less.
> 
> In other news...I came THISSSSSSSSSSS close to making a dorito joke but I refrained. XDD. I wonder if anyone noticed? lololollol /throws self off cliff
> 
> In case anyone's curious, I've begun working on that separate side-story mentioned in part two; there are still a few snags I need to get rid of in terms of plot...but I think otherwise, it should move along fine. I'll keep you guys posted on that. I'd like to finish the side-story thing before I upload the next installment after this one...but we'll see I guess. 
> 
> Once again, come find me on Rl4r.tumblr.com!!! I’m always lurking around (cuz I have no lifeeeeeee *punted*) and I’d love to hear what you guys thinks. Thank you in advance!


	4. Part Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Hiro meets someone new (but I'm sure he's familiar to a number of YOU readers ;)) on the beach and we finally discover why Hiro's going to sprain his ankle! I'm terrible, I know. orz 
> 
> The end to this installment is near I promise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh I'm so bad. I've come to realize that I started writing this particular installment in October. It's freaking December now. orz I'm so sorry...
> 
> I know I've said this before...but the next chapter is definitely going to be the last one. It's mostly done actually XD; It seems I'm just horrible at connecting the "beginning" to the "end". *sigh*
> 
> I'll be gone starting Saturday until Wednesday of next week. And after that, I have a lot of job applications to do....so writing may be slow. But seriously I will finish this story...so don't worry about me dropping it! lolol XD; To everyone who is still reading this, thank you so so much orz

            Part Four 

 

            It was true that Hiro had planned to take a walk along the shoreline to clear his head. What he _didn’t_ plan for was to walk along the shoreline for such a long time that he ended up on the other side of the island.

           

            Hiro didn’t like to admit that he was _that_ lost in thought; the honest truth, however, was that he didn’t even realize that he had walked as far as he did until the sound of screaming children reached his ears.

 

            “MOMMY!!! I want chocolate ice cream!!”

 

            “I want to go on the rollercoaster!! The big red one!!”

           

            “Do we HAVE to go now dad? Can we stay just a little longer pleaseee?”

 

            Needless to say, Hiro was snapped out of whatever stupor he was in pretty quickly.

 

            Despite knowing that it must have looked downright _ridiculous_ doing so, Hiro spun on the heel of his right foot and promptly started walking away. That is, he started walking away from the part of the beach that was NOT protected against the sound of loud children.

           

            “Ah!”

 

            Hiro barely manage to prevent himself from falling flat on his face after his foot got caught on something sticking out from the sand. After steadying himself (and muttering a few curses under his breath), Hiro looked down to see exactly what he had tripped over.

 

            It turned out that he had managed to trip over a sandcastle (since when did that get behind him?). Or at least, what used to be a sandcastle; the towers now lay crumpled on the sand. Hiro stiffened in fear within a matter of seconds. Where there was a destroyed sandcastle, there was probably a child who was ready to burst into tears. And where there was a crying child, there would be an angry parent who may very well be ready to fiercely chastise him. _I do NOT need this in my life right now_ Hiro thought.

 

            Hiro’s eyes found said child, said child who was probably one second away from bursting into tears. The child was a young boy, probably no older than 6 or 7 years of age; he had spiky brown hair and eyes that were a beautiful shade of blue. When the boy’s mouth started moving, Hiro fully expected nothing but cries and wails to come out. But no such sounds came, much to Hiro’s immense relief. Instead, all Hiro heard was a light sigh of disappointment, followed by a few choice words.

 

            “Oh man, Riku’s not going to be happy about this.”

 

            Hiro couldn’t help but flinch a little when the boy’s piercing blue eyes met his own. In some corner of his mind, he figured that Tadashi would have found this situation downright hilarious. Just imagine Hiro Takachiko, robotics genius and a medical doctor-in-training at only 21 years of age, being scared of a child.

 

            “Oh gosh kid…I’m really sorry about that.” Hiro said awkwardly, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. Hiro had only meant to leave this side of the beach as fast as he could; he hadn’t meant to ruin a young boy’s day. Much to Hiro’s surprise though, the boy’s mouth formed a large grin in response to his apology.

 

            “That’s ok mister! I can always rebuild it. I just hope that Riku doesn’t get too mad.”

 

            Hiro couldn’t help but breathe a soft sigh of relief; this boy didn’t seem like he was going to cry any time soon. Still, the prospect of this so-called “Riku” being mad made Hiro a little weary.

 

            “Is Riku your friend?” Hiro asked.

 

            “Yes sir…he went off to get me some wet sand and water. Oh! There he is now!” the young boy said, pointing in the direction of the ocean.

 

            Call Hiro crazy, but the kid’s eyes seemed to literally light up at the sight of his friend making his way back (they must be really close Hiro thought). Riku turned out to be a young boy, probably a year or two older than Sora, if his height and more mature demeanor were anything to go by. To Hiro’s great surprise, Riku had spiky white hair and eyes that were as aquamarine as the waters surrounding the island; Hiro half-wondered if the colors of Riku’s hair and eyes were natural. _What’s with these two kids? They seem like they came straight out of a video game or something_ Hiro thought.

 

            “Hey Riku! Welcome back!” the younger boy greeted cheerfully.

 

            “Hey Sora…it seems like you’ve managed to destroy our sandcastle while I was gone.” Riku replied, raising an eyebrow at the remains of the castle. Sora promptly pouted at his friend’s accusation.

 

            “Hey I didn’t break it, that guy did. But it was an accident and he apologized, so don’t get mad ok?”

 

            Hiro had the humility to shoot Riku a very apologetic look when Riku glanced his way. Riku briefly glared at Hiro before he settled on simply sighing.

 

            “I think I’m more worried about you talking so freely to strangers than I’m worried about a broken sandcastle. You’re way too nice for your own good Sora.”

 

            “You always say that Riku,” Sora said, smiling brightly all the while. “But I can take care of myself! I’m a big boy now!”

 

            “Sometimes I wonder…” Riku replied. Despite his words, Riku smiled at his friend, quite fondly in fact. Hiro couldn’t help but really wonder about the true nature of their relationship. _Oh come now Hiro, they’re just kids for Pete’s Sake. Don’t project anything onto_ _them_ Hiro thought, chiding himself.

 

            “Hey mister…do you think you can help me get some more sand and water? What Riku brought back on his own just now won’t be enough to fix the sandcastle…” Sora asked. Riku promptly grabbed Sora’s arm.

 

            “Sora…”

 

            “Oh c’mon Riku, he’s bigger than both of us so he should be able to carry the big bucket to get more wet sand! It makes perfect sense!”

 

            “I don’t know…”

 

            “Sure thing Sora,” Hiro interjected into the conversation. “It’s the least I could do for knocking over your castle.”

 

            “Alright!” Sora exclaimed happily. If Riku’s tense body language was anything to go by, he had a fair amount of misgivings about the whole idea. Still, when he realized just how dead-set Sora was on the idea, he relented.

 

            “Hey mister…do you have a name? Just in case I need to call the authorities on you for hurting my friend…” Riku asked, his eyes narrowing. Hiro had to give it to Riku; he was much sharper than his friend.

 

            “My name’s Hiro and I sincerely promise I won’t hurt Sora. I really feel bad about breaking something you both must have been working really hard on, so the least I can do is help you guys out a bit.”

 

            “Hiro…That’s a nice name! C’mon, let’s get going!” Sora exclaimed excitedly, handing Hiro a large empty bucket (it came with a small shovel). After grabbing a smaller bucket himself, Sora then started pulling Hiro towards the ocean.

 

            “See yah in a bit Riku!” Sora called out to his friend.

 

            “Yeah…” Riku replied. Hiro couldn’t quite see the look Riku was shooting in his direction, but he could safely assume that it was a very suspicious one.

 

            They arrived at the water within a few seconds. With the help of Sora, Hiro started scooping wet sand into the large pail.

 

            “You know, your friend Riku is right about being careful around strangers…” Hiro chided softly. Sora giggled.

 

            “I know. But I know that you’re a nice person Hiro, so I’m not worried.” Sora replied.

 

            “Um...how could you possibly know Sora? Are you psychic?”

 

            “No, but I’ll tell you why I think you are a good person. That wasn’t the first time someone broke my sandcastle today,” Sora explained, scooping more sand into Hiro’s bigger bucket. “But it was the first time someone stayed long enough to ask who Riku was. Everyone else would just apologize a little and leave. You were different.”

 

            Hiro tried to make sense of Sora’s logic, but he couldn’t quite manage to do so in the end. Hiro didn’t want to discourage the optimistic young boy though, so he gave Sora a small polite smile in response to what he said.

 

            “Um...thanks, I guess?”

 

            “You’re welcome!! And thanks for helping me get sand and water Hiro!”

 

            “Um...yeah. You’re welcome Sora.”

 

            “You’re a good person Hiro. I hope that whatever is bothering you gets resolved soon.”

 

            Hiro’s head spun around so fast that he was surprised that his neck didn’t snap. Perhaps he was wrong to think that Riku was sharper than Sora.

 

            “Wait, what?”

 

            “Gosh, I love it when the water makes the sand all smooth again.” Sora said, pointing down at something.

 

            Hiro looked down at where Sora was excitedly pointing at. Sora dug a big scoop of sand into Hiro’s bucket and happily watched the ocean replace the missing sand.

 

            “Isn’t it cool Hiro?” Sora asked Hiro, a bright smile once again plastered on his face.  It seemed that whatever (scarily perceptive) thought Sora had just moments before was now replaced with thoughts about how awesome the ocean was. Well, that was ok for a variety of reasons.

 

            For one, Hiro really didn’t want to (or need to really) tell Sora about his problems. Another reason was that at that very moment, a great idea sprung into his head. In consequence, Hiro was more than grateful for the change in conversation.

 

            “Yeah...you’re completely right Sora.” Hiro replied, smiling a genuine smile this time. He carefully filed the new idea away before he threw himself into helping Sora get the materials he’d need to rebuild his sandcastle. It didn’t take long for the two to finish up what they were doing and head back.

 

            Hiro had to admit that he felt a little sad leaving Sora; Sora’s kind and easy-going nature was a breath of fresh air. Still, he figured that he should really get going. Tadashi may have returned to camp by now and Hiro didn’t want his boyfriend to worry.

 

            Besides, Riku’s expression was more than easy enough to read: ‘You’ve done what you promised to do so now it’s time for you to go’.

 

            Hiro made it back to the other side of the beach without disturbing any other party, child or adult. When he made it back to camp, he noticed that all of his friends had returned; it appeared that they were just finishing up lunch. Honey was the first of the group to notice Hiro approaching.

 

            “Oh Hiro! Where have you been?” Honey exclaimed, drawing everyone’s attention away from their food.

 

            “I just went for a really long walk along the shoreline. Along the way back I sort of knocked down a kid’s sandcastle? So I helped him and his friend a little bit before I came back.” Hiro explained.

 

            The group of friends chuckled lightly at Hiro’s story.

 

            “Seriously little dude? That’s hilarious.” Wasabi said as he handed Hiro a sandwich. Hiro happily started digging in; he hadn’t quite realized just how hungry he was.

 

            “Did the kid cry?” Honey asked as she placed a bowl of cut watermelon pieces at Hiro’s feet.

 

            “Luckily, he didn’t. I was kind of scared that he would actually.”

 

            “You would be.” Tadashi said, shaking his head and smiling all the while. Hiro couldn’t help but roll his eyes a little. See? He knew that Tadashi would have found his situation with Sora and Riku funny.

 

            “Wipe that stupid grin off your face and get me a soda.” Hiro replied, sticking his tongue out at his boyfriend. Tadashi chuckled and fetched a drink for Hiro in the cooler.

 

            “Sorry to interrupt,” Gogo spoke up. “But if we’re all done eating…besides Hiro obviously…we should head over to the volleyball court.”

 

            Hiro tilted his head in slight confusion.

 

            “Oh we met this group of people while snorkeling and they invited us to play volleyball with them,” Fred explained to Hiro. “So we agreed to meet up at the court after lunch.”

 

            “O-oh…” Hiro said, opening his can of soda and taking a sip.

 

            “You don’t have to join us if you don’t want to,” Tadashi said gently, sensing Hiro’s discomfort. “Besides, you still need time to finish up eating.”

 

            “But if my memory serves me correctly…doesn’t volleyball typically require 6 players?” Hiro asked.

 

            “Well…yeah but no one said we had to strictly play by the rules.” Tadashi offered up easily. The rest of his friends nodded in agreement. Hiro had to admit that he was happy that he was being offered the chance to not participate; the last time he had played volleyball was in high school and he wasn’t particularly good at it. However, he felt a little guilty about always separating himself from the group of friends at the same time. He made the decision to come to the island to spend time with them after all.

 

            “If you really want to play, you can just come later.” Gogo suggested, cutting into Hiro’s thoughts. Hiro couldn’t help but chuckle in his head; it was as if Gogo had read his mind.

 

            “Yeah…I’ll just finish up my lunch and join you guys later.”

 

            “Cool.” Gogo said nonchalantly.

 

            “The volleyball court isn’t far from here. It’s just about a minute or two away from the rental shack.” Fred told Hiro. Hiro nodded in response to signify his understanding of the directions.

 

            “Alright…let’s clean up and reapply sunscreen before we go. Don’t let yourself get sunburned!” Wasabi announced.

 

            Everyone once again laughed but did as they were told. Since Hiro was still eating, Wasabi ended up helping Tadashi apply sunscreen onto his back. Hiro didn’t like to admit it, but he felt a little disappointed at the loss of another opportunity to observe Tadashi up close. Still, because he was eating, Hiro had a perfectly good excuse to avoid eye contact with Tadashi when he once again helped Hiro apply sunscreen onto his back. Despite being on a bit of a schedule, Tadashi still took the extra time and effort to ensure that the sunscreen wasn’t cold to the touch before he rubbed it onto Hiro’s skin; if his other friend’s exclaimations of “That’s cold!” were anything to go by, Hiro knew that what Tadashi did was the exception, not the rule.    

 

            After Tadashi finished his work, he once again placed a feather-light kiss on Hiro’s nape; luckily, Hiro was more prepared for it this time around. Hiro still visibly shivered under Tadashi’s touch, but he remained quiet and his cheeks didn’t burn up this time. Hiro pointedly glanced at Tadashi, silently demanding some sort of explanation as to why he loved kissing him on the back of his neck so much. _The funny thing is that I recall specifically telling him to never do it again just about a week or so ago_. _Had he forgotten already?_ Hiro thought.  

 

            Tadashi had the gall to shoot him a borderline sultry look before he broke out into a bashful smile. Hiro felt his heart clench painfully at the sight. How could anyone be so infuriating and adorable at the same time? He was totally doing this on purpose, the little sneak. Tadashi definitely wasn’t as innocent as he seemed.

 

            It was only after his friends and Tadashi left that Hiro realized something. Hiro may have told Tadashi to not plant kisses on his nape (not because he didn’t like such kisses but because such kisses made his legs turn to jelly and that was embarrassing), but Tadashi had never actually agreed to stop.*

 

            “Unbelievable.” Hiro muttered to himself. “Maybe I should get an agreement in writing.”

 

            After finishing up his lunch some time later, Hiro walked over to the volleyball court to find his friends. By the time he arrived, the game was already in full swing with Hiro’s friends leading (the score was 15 vs. 10). After a brief round of introductions (Hiro forgot half of the other people’s names by the end of the introductions though to be quite honest), the teams finished up the first set before Hiro joined in.

 

            “We’re playing 2 out of 3 to win. Also, we’re aiming for 21 points, not 25. It helps to streamline the game.” Tadashi explained to Hiro as he settled into a spot in the back left corner. Tadashi, Fred, and Honey Lemon formed the line in the front while Hiro, Wasabi, and Gogo formed the line in the rear.

 

            “Ah.” Hiro replied. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Gogo getting ready to serve.

 

            “I hope you have fun.” Tadashi said, shooting Hiro a quick wink. Hiro smiled a lopsided grin in response. A loud “smack” indicated to the two that Gogo had served and that the second set had officially started.  

 

            Hiro would never tell Tadashi this, but right after he bunted his first ball, he knew just how fun this volleyball game was going to be for him: the ball caused his skin to sting and it barely went up a few feet into the air after he hit it upwards. Luckily for Hiro, Wasabi was still able to set the ball properly for Tadashi to hit it over the net. It took a few more exchanges for Hiro and his friends to get the point. Although Hiro and his friends had managed to get the point, Hiro knew right away that the other team was already thinking of ways to exploit his lack of strength and skill. _Well, to be fair, I would probably do the same thing if I were in their shoes_ Hiro thought. It was a legitimate strategy after all and the opposing team was trailing by a set.  

 

            When the other team earned the right to serve for the first time, Hiro was completely unsurprised that they aimed in his general direction. Hiro managed to hit the ball, but he couldn’t hit it high enough this time and they subsequently lost the exchange (the other team scored their first point). Despite the fact that it was only one point lost (not to mention that his friends didn’t even bat an eye), Hiro felt uneasiness start to bubble in his stomach.

 

            This wasn’t going to end well was it?

 

TBC

 

*Read "Of Cat Ears and Anime Conventions (and Marriage Proposals?)" and you'll discover that Tadashi never actually agreed to stop xD 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Hiro. We all know that sinking feeling T__T;; I'll never forget how much I disappointed my teammates back in high school volleyball XD;. Oh well. It's all in the past now. 
> 
> So how exactly is Hiro going to manage to hurt himself? You'll see really soon. 
> 
> And what exactly was the significance of Sora and Riku being in the story? Nothing spectacular really...but I thought it'd be a really cute cameo. Also keep Hiro's idea somewhere...it'll be important real soon ;) *shot* 
> 
> Anyhoo my friend gave me a suggestion over tea just the other day. He suggested that since I'm taking so long to update the story now, I should consider writing like, a "synopsis" before every new installment to make sure everyone kinda gets on the same page. I know some of you like to go back and re-read stuff...but I understand that my writing is reallyyyyyyy long and exposition heavy so...that could be hard. What do you think of the synopsis idea?
> 
> I know it may be a little late at this point...but I could always go back to old installments and write synopsis for them so that you can kind of just quickly read through them before reading the new chapter. That or I could write a timeline and post it on my tumblr or something. Thoughts?
> 
> I'm totally serious about the next chapter being the last. I'll try to get it done before I leave but that's probably not going to happen. XD;; Still...I'll try my hardest!
> 
> Once again, come find me on Rl4r.tumblr.com!!! I’m always lurking around (cuz I have no lifeeeeeee *punted*) and I’d love to hear what you guys thinks. Thank you in advance!


	5. Part Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hiro finally injures himself. But his friends are there to pick him right back up. 
> 
> And in Tadashi's case, I mean that literally! Enjoy Tadashi carrying our favorite little nerd bby. :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bleh so I lied. This isn't the last chapter. But I finished both chapters before uploading so...it'll feel like it's just one chapter. XD;;;
> 
> Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh orz

Part Five

 

            Hiro had done his fair share of brash and stupid things in his life. Still, what he ended up doing on the volleyball court in the last set of the game could’ve easily ranked amongst the top 10 brash-and-stupid things he did.

 

            But then again, pecking Tadashi on the lips after their one-month-long rotation had been pretty brash and stupid; after all, there was no way that Hiro could’ve known for sure if Tadashi had felt the same way he did. Despite the fact that Hiro had a pretty good gut feeling about Tadashi’s feelings, that particular situation could’ve ended really badly, couldn’t it have? Now that Hiro thought about it, he was beginning to develop a bit of a track record, wasn’t he?

 

            But back to the point at hand: the volleyball game (Hiro should really stop having such long trains of thought). Hiro and his friends ended up losing the second set; after about 20 minutes of fierce exchanges and serves, Hiro’s team lost the set, 17 to 21.

 

            Hiro figured that losing the second set wasn’t necessarily a bad thing in and of itself; it helped give the other team more face and made the game more exciting. However, losing the second set because of Hiro’s lack of skills in the sport was definitely a bad thing; he felt like he was failing his friends. Was it really so hard to set a ball as well as Wasabi and Fred did? Was it so hard to spike the ball over the net the way Honey and Gogo did? Let’s not even talk about Hiro’s serve; he had lost count of the number of times he had almost hit Tadashi in the back with the ball. Hiro actually did hit Tadashi on the back once, but luckily, Tadashi recovered quickly. Despite Tadashi’s gentle reassurance about how the impact of the ball didn’t really hurt, Hiro felt pretty crummy afterwards.

 

            Well ok, maybe Hiro was being particularly self-deprecating and really unnecessarily hard on himself. There were other possibly reasons as to why Hiro and his friends lost the set besides his lack of skill. Maybe they lost the second set because the other team started playing better. Maybe they lost the second set because they were getting more fatigued. There were a couple of possibilities.

 

            But Hiro believed that the most likely reason was his lack of skills in the sport. Why else would he have felt so obligated to dive for a ball during a tie-breaker? Why else would he have taken the dive, knowing that it was very likely that he’d injure himself in some way? There couldn’t have been a more logical explanation.

 

            It was a pretty stupid decision to make, in retrospect. Winning a point may have been crucial in say, a professional volleyball tournament or something; winning when the championship was at stake would’ve been worth a mild injury. But winning a point at this exact moment wasn’t a matter of life-or-death (not even close really). Why would one ever think that it was more worth it to dive for the ball than to preserve the well-being of one’s foot?

 

            Well, they do say that pride could often gets in the way of making logical decisions. Hiro supposed that he really didn’t want his friends (and Tadashi for that matter) to think badly of him. Well, more than what they must have thought anyway.

 

            Hiro knew that despite the fact that he was able to spring right back into the game after falling (rather uncomfortably hard) on his right foot, he had a limited time frame to work with. His foot would swell and be painfully inflamed in a matter of minutes and it would render him incapable of play, which probably would’ve disqualified his team if the other team was less flexible with the rules. He also had to be concerned with getting back to camp; camp was only 5 minutes or so away, but that could feel like eternity to someone with a hurt foot.

 

            Luckily for Hiro (well, as lucky as you could be right after you injured yourself), the game ended shortly after he did his stupid dive for the ball; Hiro and his friends managed to come out victorious. Hiro couldn’t help but smile a little to himself; his brash decision did help his team win the game in the end. Hiro supposed that his friends wouldn’t be TOO mad at him because of that.

 

            But they’d still be pretty mad about his contribution throughout the rest of the game, wouldn’t they? Hiro’s heart sank thinking about it. _I should’ve known that this would end badly_ _for me_ Hiro thought. _I shouldn’t have agreed to play. I would’ve saved myself from such shame._

 

            The other team was cool about their loss; after a short exchange of congratulations and goodbyes, the two groups went their separate ways. The walk back to the gang’s camp was filled with excited conversation about the volleyball game. Hiro remained mostly silent during the walk though, partially due to his emotional thoughts and partially due to the developing pain in his ankle. Hiro hoped that his friends wouldn’t notice him lagging slightly behind.

 

            It was a foolish hope though. His friends promptly found out when the swelling in Hiro’s foot became particularly noticeable; Hiro’s skin was naturally quite fair, so the unusual redness wasn’t hard to miss. It also didn’t help that Hiro all but collapsed onto one of the spread towels on the sand when they made it back. The pain from the inflammation had grown to be too much to bear at that point.

 

            Hiro’s friends freaked out of course, very loudly in fact. They had some inkling that Hiro may have injured himself during the last bit of the volleyball game, but they hadn’t imagined that it was bad as it actually was. Naturally, Hiro’s friends demanded an explanation as to why Hiro did what he did after they calmed down.

 

            “…I was feeling pretty down about being so…bad at volleyball,” Hiro said softly. “You guys won the first set so easily but the minute I got into the game, they started taking advantage of me and we lost the second set. I felt like a dead-weight.”

 

            Hiro paused in his confession, embarrassment hindering his ability to continue talking. Tadashi promptly jumped in, quite in-tuned with Hiro’s feelings and where Hiro’s train of thought was going.

 

            “So you thought we were…mad about losing the second set and your performance in the game. And that’s what prompted you to take such a risky dive to secure one point, right?” Tadashi finished. Hiro nodded.

 

            “I didn’t want you guys to be disappointed and frustrated.” Hiro said, hiding his face in his arms.

 

            “Oh Hiro…that’s not how we feel at all.” Tadashi said softly, patting Hiro’s shoulder gently. Hiro was surprised to see Tadashi and his friends shoot him exasperated, though nonetheless fond, looks.

 

            “You guys…aren’t mad?”

 

            The group of friends glanced at one another before answering Hiro’s question.

 

            “Of course we’re not mad Hiro," Honey Lemon said gently. "I mean, Gogo can get pretty competitive sometimes and Fred can get lost in the flow of things, but we’d never get mad at a friend over something like a volleyball game."

 

            "Especially a game as casual as this one,” Fred offered up his two cents. “Not to mention we won in the end, so there was no harm done there.”

 

            “But in regards to you injuring yourself and not telling us until it got this bad?" Wasabi asked.

 

            "Yeah. We're pretty mad." Gogo finished curtly.

 

            Hiro flushed slightly after his friends’ words fully sunk in. It seemed that he had completely misunderstood the situation. Of course his friends wouldn’t be mad about losing a game or how badly he played. What they would’ve been mad about was Hiro hurting himself and subsequently putting a stop to their fun day at the beach. Which (surprise surprise) was exactly what happened.

 

            How could Hiro have been so wrong? His original line of thought now made absolutely no sense to him. _Well they do say that hindsight is 20/20_ Hiro thought to himself.  

 

            “I’m sorry…" Hiro said. Needless to say, he felt pretty silly at the moment.

 

            "Just make sure to not do it again." Gogo said, her tone sharp. But Hiro could tell that she was actually quite worried and just wanted to make sure she got her and her friends’ point across. Hiro fought down the urge to chuckle, lest he earned himself a punch to the shoulder or something for being cheeky. Besides, he couldn’t forget that he was still responsible for making his friends retire early for the day. He was still pretty guilty of that particular grievance.  

 

            "Yes ma'm." Hiro replied simply. All of his friends nodded easily in understanding. After all, if someone as hard and tough as Gogo could forgive Hiro, they all could too.

 

            “We all value your friendship very dearly Hiro. You should never feel obligated to please us at the expense of your own wellbeing.” Tadashi said.

 

            “Definitely with you on that one Tadashi.” Fred said. Wasabi and Gogo silently nodded in agreement. Honey, easily the most affectionate one out of all of them, pulled Hiro into a warm hug.

 

            “…Thanks guys…” Hiro said quietly. Not all of his friends heard him, but it only took one look at his eyes for them to understand anyway.

 

            “C’mon, let’s hurry back to Freddie’s house so that we can take care of that ankle.” Honey Lemon suggested. 

 

            “Good idea. I’ll call ahead so that the doctor at our infirmary can prepare some stuff in advance.” Fred said as he pulled out his cell phone from his bag. 

 

            While Fred made the call, the rest of the friends busied themselves with packing up. After everything was packed up appropriately, Tadashi then turned to Hiro, who was quietly sitting on the last towel still spread on the sand.

 

            “Hiro…can you walk?” Tadashi whispered gently. Hiro shook his head.

 

            “I don't think anything is broken, but my ankle is pretty swollen…” Hiro replied, his eyes quivering a little.

 

            “That’s ok. I’ll carry you on my back ok?”

 

            “…Ok.”

 

            That was the exact moment when Tadashi understood just how much Hiro’s ankle must have been bothering him; Hiro would’ve never accepted such an offer (and so readily too) under normal circumstances. Tadashi’s heart ached at the thought, but it made him all the more determined to get Hiro the help he needed. Tadashi patiently waited for Hiro to wrap his arms around his neck before he secured his own arms around his boyfriend’s thin legs and stood up. Tadashi was forever grateful that all of his friends knew better than to tease either of them at the moment; the last thing he wanted was for Hiro to get too embarrassed and end up refusing help.

 

            The walk back to Fred’s vacation home was spent mostly in silence. Tadashi was glad that the walk didn’t take longer than 10 minutes. It wasn’t that Hiro was particularly heavy (he was incredibly light in fact), but having Hiro so close and pressed up against him was making Tadashi's stomach do all kinds of somersaults and his heart beat so fast and loudly that he was sure everyone could hear it. The sensations weren’t entirely unpleasant though Tadashi supposed; after all, this whole set-up once again reminded him of just how small Hiro was compared to him. But the fact that he found even a little pleasure in Hiro being in this situation in the first place also made him feel guilty; if he liked Hiro being close to him or whatever, Tadashi could (and should) just ask right? _Oh the woes of having conflicting emotions and trying to deal with them all at once_  Tadashi thought ironically.

 

            Tadashi couldn’t have known, but Hiro was in a similar boat: needing to be carried by Tadashi because he couldn’t walk was beyond embarrassing! Hiro tried his best to keep himself from pressing too hard against Tadashi lest he could tell just how fast Hiro’s heart was racing or feel how hot he was getting in consequence. But at the same time, Hiro couldn’t say that he didn’t find some enjoyment in the whole thing. It was nice, knowing that Tadashi was physically capable of carrying him; could you imagine the possibilities? Unfortunately, it didn’t take long for Hiro’s mind to wander into slightly inappropriate territory at that particular thought (he mentally slapped himself in consequence) and for him to get red all over again. Hiro sincerely prayed that none of his friends were glancing his way at the moment, lest they see his guilty expression and guessed exactly what he must have been thinking.  _The last thing I need is for my friends to have blackmail material_  Hiro thought.

 

            But Hiro needn't have worried. Such a thought never even crossed any of his friends' minds. They did think Hiro and Tadashi were absolutely adorable together though, but that hardly needed to be said out-loud.

 

            When they arrived back at the vacation house, Fred made a brief announcement.

 

            "We'll meet back here in the lobby for dinner in 2 hours. Is that ok with everyone?" Fred asked.

 

            Everyone collectively voiced their agreement. Fred then led Tadashi and Hiro to the small infirmary on the first floor while the rest of the group carried their stuff back up to their respective rooms. While they walked, Fred explained to both Hiro and Tadashi that the doctor was already expecting them and that their visit shouldn't take long at all. Both men were grateful for the news; some relaxation time before dinner sounded heavenly and the shorter the doctor visit, the more relaxation time they would have. The trio soon reached the doors of the infirmary; after Hiro and Tadashi thanked Fred for his help, he left for his own room with a small wave and smile.

 

            The doctor was a man in his mid 50s; a small name tag on his lab coat lapel read "Dr. Nam" in bold black print. He kindly greeted Tadashi and Hiro before gesturing in the direction of the examination bed. Tadashi gently deposited Hiro down before seating himself in a chair next to Dr. Nam's computer. As per protocol, Dr. Nam asked for some background information regarding Hiro's general state of health and checked all of Hiro's vital signs before he proceeded to examine Hiro's swollen ankle. Dr. Nam then ordered an X-ray to be done and Hiro was briefly whisked away to the room next door by a young and friendly technician; Tadashi and Dr. Nam chatted amicably ("Oh, you two are doctors in training? That's wonderful!") while they waited for the results of the X-ray. After some examination and consideration of the results, Dr. Nam inputted some information into Hiro's patient chart before giving the news. 

 

            “Hm. The bad news is that there is definitely enough swelling going on in your ankle to prevent you from walking properly for a day or two," Dr. Nam said. "The good news is that there are no broken bones or torn ligaments, so you should be fine as long as you allow your body time to heal itself. You're young, so that process shouldn't take too long.” 

 

            Both Tadashi and Hiro sighed in relief at the news. 

 

            “That's good to hear. I have a quick question though. Do you think I’ll need some oral NSAIDs* to help with the inflammation?” Hiro asked. 

 

            “You’re the one who truly knows the full extent of your pain,” the doctor replied gently. “So I'll leave that decision entirely up to you. I have over-the-counter Advil and Aleve right here in my cabinet if you think you'll need it. They’ll undoubtedly help with the swelling and the pain, but as I’m sure you know, they come with their own risks too. It’s really up to you.”

 

            Hiro thought for a couple of seconds.

 

            “I think I’ll take some medication today..." Hiro decided. He figured that getting the inflammation down faster would better suit his needs; after all, he didn't want to prevent his friends from going anywhere just because he wasn't at 100% functionality. 

 

            "Ok then. Do you want Advil or Aleve?" Dr. Nam asked, holding out two individual bottles of medication. 

 

            "Advil's fine," Hiro indicated, and Dr. Nam dropped off the bottle of Advil into his hand before giving Hiro some water. Hiro promptly swallowed one pill before he handed the now empty glass back to Dr. Nam. "Thank you for all of your help." 

 

            "Sure thing. Will you need a crutch to help support yourself for the next few days? With a crutch, you can ambulate yourself for small tasks, such as getting out of bed or going to the bathroom. I have crutches you can borrow as well, if you think you'll need one."

 

            "Yeah, I think that's a good idea. Please allow me to borrow one, even if it'll only be for a day or two."

 

            Dr. Nam nodded before he went and opened a nearby closet; after a few seconds of moving things around, he emerged with a single crutch and had Hiro briefly test out which height would be the most appropriate for him. After Dr. Nam was satisfied with his measurements and adjusted the crutch accordingly, he handed the medical equipment over to Hiro.

 

            "Alright, I hope you feel better soon Hiro. If you need anything else, you know where to find me." Dr. Nam said, gently patting Hiro's shoulder. 

 

            "Ok. I'll probably drop by tomorrow to return this bottle of medication and this crutch to you."

 

            "Oh yes, please do. I don't get supplies delivered here all that often so I need to spend what I have wisely. Thank you Hiro."

 

            "Take care Dr. Nam." Tadashi voiced as Hiro climbed onto his back once more. Tadashi then picked up the crutch as well. 

 

            "And to you as well Tadashi. Please close the door behind you on the way out." 

 

            True to Fred's words, the visit didn't take very long at all; Tadashi and Hiro soon found themselves back in their room with an hour and a half to spare before dinner. It was a good thing too, because they had a lot to do before heading down to eat and Hiro’s sprained ankle complicated things.

 

            The first issue they faced together was the fact that they needed to wash off all the sand and sweat from the day's activities. But with Hiro’s foot being sprained as it was, how was Hiro supposed to take a shower comfortably?

 

            “So…how are we going to do this exactly?” Tadashi asked Hiro.

 

            “You should just shower first and we can figure out how I’m going to do it after that,” Hiro suggested. “I don’t want to get too much sand on the floor.”

 

            “But what about you? You can barely stand right now because of the inflammation,” Tadashi replied, voice filled with concern. “Would you really be ok showering on your own?”

 

            “I mean, there really isn’t any way about it, unless you’re suggesting we shower together?”

 

            A very pregnant pause hung in the air after those words flew out of Hiro’s mouth. When the implications of his words caught up with him, Hiro had enough shame to shyly cover his mouth in embarrassment.

 

            “Uh…actually, on second thought…” Hiro said, cheeks reddening. 

 

            “Eh heh heh…Yeah, how about I shower first?” Tadashi said awkwardly. The redness of his cheeks rivaled that of Hiro’s. “I-I’ll be quick, I promise.”

 

            “O-ok…”

 

            Tadashi pulled a chair over for Hiro sit on before quickly running into the shower to clean up. After about 15 minutes, Tadashi came out, sand-free and very much refreshed.

 

            “I thought about what we can do while you were showering…how about you help me get this chair into the shower? That way, I won’t have to stand on my feet but I can still wash up.” Hiro suggested to Tadashi. Tadashi nodded in response and did as Hiro suggested.

 

            Before Tadashi moved the chair into the bathroom, he made sure to grab all things Hiro would need to clean up (toiletries, his clothes, and a towel) and to place them in the appropriate places. Tadashi then moved the chair into the shower and helped Hiro settle down.

 

            “Thanks Tadashi.” Hiro said appreciatively.

 

            "I'll be outside if you need me ok?" Tadashi offered gently. 

 

            "Thanks." Hiro repeated, kissing Tadashi softly on the cheek. With a small wave, Tadashi closed the door behind him, leaving Hiro to his own devices. 

 

            Tadashi remained just outside the bathroom door as Hiro showered. The experience wasn't as boring as it sounded. Tadashi wasn't quite sure if Hiro was naturally clumsy when he showered (Tadashi had always respected his boyfriend's privacy so he had no idea until now) or if the sprained ankle made him clumsy; every 5 minutes or so, Tadashi would hear the clanking of a shampoo bottle or a bar of soap against the floor of the shower and Hiro's subsequent cursing. Tadashi tried his best to hold in his laughter, but by the third time Hiro dropped something on the floor, he couldn't help but burst out laughing. 

 

            “H-Hey! Don’t be rude!” Hiro called out from behind the locked door.

 

            “Is everything ok in there?” Tadashi asked, unable to keep the amusement out of his voice.

 

            “Yes! Everything’s fine!” Hiro shouted back indignantly. Something chose to fall over at that very moment though (if the loud clang was anything to go by), which sent Tadashi into another fit of giggles.

 

            “I swear I’m going to wipe that smile off your face when I come out…”

 

            Hiro did no such thing though, because he was quite tired out from the day’s activities and from the fact that his ankle was still really hurting him; all Hiro did was fall in an ungraceful pile on top of the bed. Tadashi quietly made his way over to Hiro’s head and slipped a dry towel underneath it to prevent Hiro’s wet hair from dampening the pillow. Tadashi knew it was a poor substitute for drying Hiro’s hair properly, but he figured that his boyfriend just really wanted to lie down and Tadashi couldn’t find it in his heart to refuse him. They still had half an hour before dinner anyway.

 

            “You think you’ll be up for dinner? We can ask Fred if we can have something brought up.” Tadashi asked gently, the teasing tone from before all but gone.

 

            “No, I’ll be fine. I just want to rest my eyes a little bit before we head down.” Hiro explained. His eyelids felt a little heavy.

 

            “Are you sure?”

 

            “Yeah.”

 

            “Ok.”

 

            A comfortable silence hung between the two after that. There were a couple of times when Hiro wanted to start up conversation but thought better of it. _My thoughts are still a little jumbled. I’ll tell Tadashi about them after dinner_ Hiro thought.

 

            “How’s your ankle feeling? Has the Advil kicked in yet?” Tadashi asked.

 

            “Mmm…I think it has. My foot doesn’t feel as hot anymore.” Hiro replied.

 

            “It still might be a good idea to elevate it when we get back from dinner.”

 

            “Yeah…”

 

            “Do you plan on walking down with the crutch? Or should I just carry you again?”

 

            It didn’t take long for Hiro’s heart to start racing and for his face to feel hot again. He shyly met Tadashi’s eyes.

 

            “Um…being carried sounds like a better idea…” Hiro admitted. Tadashi chuckled good-naturedly.

 

            “Ok.”

 

            “You’re secretly judging me aren’t you?”

 

            “No! Why would you think I was?” Tadashi asked, surprise written all over his face.

 

            “Because it’s…weird isn’t it? You carrying me and me liking it…I’m so weird.” Hiro explained, hiding his face behind his hands.

 

            The next thing Hiro knew, Tadashi had pulled him into a warm hug. Hiro blinked stupidly for a few seconds (as he was caught off guard) before he relaxed in Tadashi’s arms. When Tadashi felt Hiro relax against him, he left a quick succession of kisses in Hiro’s hair.

 

            “Well then, I’m weird too. Because I like carrying you…” Tadashi whispered. Hiro couldn’t help but giggle. Tadashi had a way of saying things that always made Hiro laugh.

 

            “You big goof!”

 

            “You’re a bigger goof!” 

 

            “Nuh-uh!”

 

            “Yeah-huh!”

 

            Tadashi and Hiro were so busy making fun pokes at the other and laughing together that they didn’t hear their friends knocking at their door; they were stuck in their own world. As such, when Tadashi’s phone rang loudly in the midst of their scuffle, the couple tumbled off the bed in surprise. Unsurprisingly, Tadashi recovered before Hiro did; with a slightly shaky hand, Tadashi picked up the call.

 

            “H-Hello?” Tadashi asked. He sounded more breathless than he would’ve liked.

 

            “Hi Tadashi! It’s Honey and everyone else too!”

 

            “Hey guys…What’s up?”

 

            “Dinner is what’s up. We were just outside your room door! We had knocked a couple of times, but you never answered?”

 

            Much to Tadashi’s embarrassment, Hiro chose that particular moment to groan loudly; it seemed that Hiro had accidentally bumped his swollen ankle when he fell off the bed. Tadashi was on his small boyfriend in a second, making sure that Hiro wasn’t in too much pain; unbeknownst to Tadashi, his rush to get to Hiro caused the bed sheets to ruffle slightly, the sounds further incriminating him.

 

            “Oh. Are we interrupting something?” Honey Lemon asked, her sing-song voice faltering ever so slightly. Tadashi heard Gogo let out a soft “heh” and Wasabi make a sound that was a mixture of shock and disgust in the background. Fred was just outright laughing.

 

            “No! You’re not! I’ll open the door right now!” Tadashi said frantically. Hiro may not have known exactly what was going on, but Tadashi’s panicked demeanor spoke volumes on its own.

 

            “You don’t have to subject us to any horrors to prove a point Hamada.” Gogo said, clearly amused.

 

            “Yeah we’re downstairs now anyway. Just come on down when you’re done with whatever you started.” Fred said nonchalantly. Tadashi’s cheeks became very red.

 

            “Wait guys…” Tadashi tried to explain, but embarrassment had a way of tongue-tying people, and Tadashi was no exception.   

 

            “Um…sorry about that Tadashi! We’ll see you later.” Honey said before promptly hanging up.

 

            It took one look at Tadashi’s very red face for Hiro to logically deduce what had more or less transpired during the phone call.

 

            “So uh, are we still going down to dinner?” Hiro asked, trying to lighten up the mood. “Or can we never face our friends again?”

 

TBC

 

*NSAID: Non-steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drug – medications that have anti-inflammatory properties; used to treat pain; common side effects include upset stomach, serious side effects include gastric ulcers and heart attacks 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pwahaha. You always got to keep in mind...
> 
> The same friends who pick you up when you're down will be the same ones to tease you. That's just how friendship is sometimes haha. 
> 
> But we wouldn't have it any other way would we?
> 
> And why yes I purposefully wrote for Hiro to be injured so that we can all squee at the thought of Tadashi carrying him pwahahahaaaa. /punted to the moon


	6. Part Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tadashi says some heartfelt words to Hiro while fireworks go off in the background.
> 
> AKA Wow this is something straight out of a shoujo manga.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is particularly unbeta-d because it's kind of painful for me to read Hiro's thoughts and Tadashi's thoughts orz 
> 
> I just see myself too much in them lolololll. Um, so I sincerely apologize before hand if there are any glaringly obvious grammatical/spelling errors. I hope that you can forgive me. ;w;

            Part Six

 

            Hiro and Tadashi ended up leaving their room to eat dinner of course; after all, they would’ve looked guiltier if they didn’t. It was a little embarrassing meeting the eyes of their friends at first, but the awkwardness quickly went away when their friends brought up ideas on what to do for the next day. Besides, it wasn’t like Hiro or Tadashi had anything to hide in regards to what they did before dinner. The honest truth was that they were simply being two loser dorks behind their closed door, nothing more and nothing less. Hiro and Tadashi had been together long enough that their antics were no secret to their friends; Hiro was sure that one way or another, everyone would get back on the same page.    

 

            Dinner was a long but nonetheless enjoyable affair. The food was good and so was the company. However, when Fred suggested that they all go to the beach to see the fireworks show after they finished eating, Hiro declined. _Get sand all over me again? No thank you._

 

            “I’d love to see the fireworks, but if I rest up more today, my foot will be better tomorrow and you guys don’t have to worry about me anymore. I don’t want to be more of a burden than I already am.” Hiro explained. Besides, his socializing energy was being readily depleted again and nothing would’ve made him happier than to retire to his room for the night.  

 

            “You’re really not a burden Hiro…” Honey insisted softly but firmly. The group of friends nodded in agreement.

 

            “But if you want to rest up, we’re not going to stop you,” Fred said. “Besides, you should be able to get a good viewing of the fireworks from your room’s balcony anyway.”

 

            “We have a balcony?” Tadashi asked. They had been in such a rush to get down to the beach in the morning that he hadn’t done a thorough job looking over the room.

 

            “Yep! It overlooks the part of the beach where we were walking on today actually!”

 

            “Cool. What time will the fireworks show start?” Tadashi asked.

 

            “In about half an hour.” Fred said, glancing down at his watch.

 

            And that was how Tadashi and Hiro found themselves on their room’s balcony 20 minutes later, quietly enjoying the night air and each other’s company. Hiro didn’t want Tadashi to strain his back carrying him all the time, so he had chosen to sit on top of the balcony railing. Tadashi, being the ever caring and loving boyfriend he was, positioned himself between Hiro’s legs so that he could hold Hiro close and steady in his strong arms. A fall from this height would’ve led to bodily harm after all.

 

            Hiro wasn’t quite sure what inspired him to initiate deep conversation 10 minutes before fireworks would go off in the distance. Maybe it was the soothing sounds of the waves. Maybe it was the small cool breeze. Maybe it was because Tadashi shot him a soft loving smile every couple of seconds (that insufferable goof). Whatever it was, Hiro took his jumbled thoughts from before and slowly sorted them out. When Hiro felt like he was ready, he coughed softly to catch Tadashi’s attention.

 

            “You know, I’ve never really had a chance to say it, but…thank you.” Hiro said. He had meant to say his statement quietly, but the atmosphere was so serene and peaceful that he sounded like he was speaking at a normal volume anyway.

 

            “Thank you for what Hiro?” Tadashi asked curiously.

 

            “Where do I even start?”

 

            Tadashi waited patiently for Hiro to continue talking.

 

            “I’ve guess I’ve just had it really easy in our relationship? Like…you and all of your friends…and Aunt Cass too…sort of just took me in and treated me so warmly. I’ve almost forgotten how it felt to um…not fit in.”

 

            Tadashi felt his chest get a little tight at Hiro’s words, especially the last three.

 

            “You want to talk about it?” Tadashi asked gently. Hiro figured that Tadashi was specifically referring to why Hiro had felt like he didn’t fit in.  

 

            “Mmm…there’s really not much to tell.” Hiro said truthfully. The past was in the past after all.

 

            “Ok.”

 

            “But yeah…thank you for being so accepting and whatnot. As I said all those months ago, I know I’m not the easiest person to deal with. I really meant it then and I mean it even more so now.”

 

            Tadashi thought back to the day Hiro confessed to him and remembered Hiro saying those exact words. He also cringed a little when he remembered himself saying, “You’re welcome” reflexively.

 

            “Well…my answer to that notion still hasn’t changed from then. There’s really no need to thank me for anything.” Tadashi insisted.

 

            It’s not like Hiro didn’t believe Tadashi’s words; rather he didn’t fully believe them. Hiro hadn’t quite managed to convince Tadashi to take him as seriously as he had wanted it seemed. _Well, he’s going to have to try harder than that_ Hiro thought.

 

            “But I feel like I’m not contributing much at all,” Hiro continued his original train of thought. “You’ve planned all of the dates we’ve had and you even helped to plan the first birthday party I’ve had in a long long time. What have I done though? Not much, if anything…so care to explain just how I don’t really need to thank you for anything?”

 

            “I mean…what you said about the dates and the birthday party are true…not to mention that you got yourself pretty injured today and made me carry you around,” Tadashi replied. “But I honestly don’t mind it−”

 

            “Oh and I forgot about my scary mother,” Hiro couldn’t help but interrupt Tadashi.  “I know she’s not the easiest person to deal with either, but she unfortunately comes as part of the package.”

 

            Tadashi snorted at that; Hiro couldn’t help but smile a little at his boyfriend’s reaction.

 

            “Now now Hiro, you shouldn’t say that about your mother...” Tadashi chided gently. Hiro smirked.

 

            “What she doesn’t know can’t hurt her.” Hiro said cheekily. “Though granted, I think she would be a lot less scary if you weren’t so damn submissive.”

 

            “Hiro!” Tadashi exclaimed before he promptly pouted. Hiro giggled, though he patted Tadashi’s face softly in apology.

 

            “Sorry sorry…” Hiro said. He knew that Tadashi’s pout this time was at least half-real. As such, Hiro instantly stopped joking lest he truly hurt Tadashi’s feelings.

 

            Hiro stared straight into Tadashi’s eyes when he spoke again.

 

            “See what I mean? I’m really not the most empathic person out there,” Hiro said, his voice growing quieter and quieter as he spoke his thoughts. They needed to be said though. “I’m kind of a jerk to be honest…Not all the time but…yeah.”

 

            Hiro twiddled his thumbs together, trying to finish off his thought completely; to his slight frustration though, he couldn’t quite manage to do so. Everything sounded either too self-deprecating or unnecessarily ominous; he wanted to come clean with Tadashi but at the same time, he didn’t want to give him any wrong ideas. _Why are words so hard?_ Hiro thought.

 

            Hiro hated to admit it, but he half-expected Tadashi to finish his thought for him. Tadashi had sort of developed a tendency to do that nowadays, so it felt like it might happen again. However, Tadashi remained silent this time. Hiro supposed that it was for the best though; he really shouldn’t start relying on Tadashi to understand everything for him. It wasn’t exactly healthy.  

 

            But as the silence dragged on, Hiro finally lost his nerve.

 

            “Sorry…forget what I said. I’m just making things weird again aren’t I?” Hiro asked, before he hid his face against Tadashi’s shoulder.

 

            “Oh Hiro…of course you’re not.” Tadashi whispered softly into Hiro’s ear. Hiro nuzzled deeper into Tadashi’s shoulder; in response, Tadashi hugged him a little tighter as well.

 

            “Although…I am concerned about you feeling as if you’ve had it way easier in this relationship than I have. I just don’t think that’s entirely true…or at least it’s not when you look at it from a different angle.”

 

            Hiro broke out of Tadashi’s hug and shot him a confused look; in response, Tadashi simply smiled.

 

            “For one, I know how hard it’s been for you this past month…with this trip and the whole convention thing at the café,” Tadashi explained softly. “I’m more extroverted than you are, so I can handle these things well enough…but I know it’s draining for you. Thank you for putting your best foot forward every time.”

 

            “And I know that you keep thinking that our friends welcomed you in with opened arms and everything,” Tadashi continued. “But friendship is two-ways Hiro. Well, at least they should be. If you were rude to everyone or pushed them away, I can guarantee that they wouldn’t have stood for it for one second. They care about you because you’ve shown them that you care about them too. I’ll never forget how I was about to refuse to go with Fred’s plans four months back but you didn’t.”

 

            A small “pop” in the distance interrupted their conversation. Or rather interrupted Tadashi’s long spiel.

 

            “Oh…I guess we’ll have to finish this talk later,” Tadashi said, chuckling. Hiro’s heart skipped a beat when he saw just how much Tadashi’s eyes were sparkling. “But did you forget Hiro? None of this would’ve happened in the first place without you!”

 

            “You were the one to officially begin our relationship,” Tadashi explained. A couple more pops resounded behind them but Hiro could hear every word Tadashi was saying. “I can tell you right now that my legs were on the verge of collapsing right before you kissed me on the last day of rotations at FL Care. I couldn’t have done what you did that day. Only you were brave enough.”

 

            A large group of fireworks exploded in the sky at that very moment, casting a bright red light on the nightscape. Despite this, Tadashi’s attention was focused solely on Hiro.

 

            “So I don’t know about you…but I think that you’ve done a heck of a lot for us Hiro. And I’m very grateful.”

 

            Hiro couldn’t quite put a finger on how Tadashi’s words made him feel. They made him feel a whole concoction of emotions; the first feeling Hiro figured out he was feeling was disbelief. Was Tadashi being honest with him? How could he be? There was no way he could be, right?

           

            But it took one look at Tadashi’s eyes and his smile for Hiro’s feelings of disbelief to be replaced with happiness and pride. Sadly, those feelings were quickly overridden by feelings of utmost embarrassment.

 

            And so Hiro pulled Tadashi close to him and hid his face (which was turning more and more red by the second) against Tadashi’s shoulder. Tadashi couldn’t help but burst out into charmed laughter at Hiro’s reaction, further fueling Hiro’s embarrassment due to how it made his stomach do all sorts of somersaults. _Don’t cry Hiro don’t cry_ Hiro thought, his mind in a slight state of panic.  

 

            Hiro didn’t end up crying, but he may have sobbed a little bit against Tadashi’s shoulder. Tadashi, being the ever understanding boyfriend, didn’t poke fun at Hiro for it though. Instead, he gently lifted Hiro’s face from his shoulder and simply said, “Come on. The fireworks are really pretty tonight. I wouldn’t want you to miss them.”

 

            And with that, their deep (and weird, according to Hiro) conversation came to an end, much to Hiro’s relief. After clapping his hands against his face a couple of times, Hiro turned his eyes away from Tadashi (who had already broken eye contact at this point) and focused on the fireworks that were illuminating the night sky. _I’m kind of beyond mad right now that Tadashi’s so damn embarrassing, but he’s right. I really haven’t given myself enough credit, have I?_ Hiro thought.

 

            Hiro hated to admit that there were things that he didn’t understand very well, but he supposed that friendship was one of them. Hiro knew that deep inside, Tadashi, his friends and Aunt Cass were particularly nice people (nothing would change that notion). However, Tadashi was right about the fact that if Hiro hadn’t reciprocated their kindness (at least to a certain extent), they wouldn’t have tolerated him or come to care about him the way they did now. Hiro didn’t consider his choices of action throughout the months he had been dating Tadashi to be extraordinarily friendly, but he wasn’t rude or standoffish either. When you took his introverted personality and his history of being all by himself into account, what Hiro had managed to achieve was quite extraordinary actually.

 

            Well ok, maybe that was pushing it a little. But what Hiro had managed to do was worthy of credit.

 

            When the fireworks started coming less frequently, Hiro spoke again.

 

            “Ok I admit it…I did kind of forget that I was the one who started our relationship in the first place.” Hiro said. Tadashi chuckled in response.

 

            “How could you ever forget something as momentous as that?” Tadashi asked.

 

            “Guess you’ve always been the more…lovey-dovey romantic one between the two of us, so I just came to assume that it was you who started everything and not me.” Hiro replied, shrugging slightly.

 

            “What do you mean I’m the more romantic one between us? I’m not the one who got all philosophical on what the difference between love and marriage is…” Tadashi teased. Hiro scoffed, but his cheeks got a little pink.  

 

            “But I’m not the one who sends ‘I love you’ texts every night.”

 

            “Well, I’m not the one who constructed and gave away a complex robot who can scan for injuries…for the sole purpose of making the other person happy.”

 

            The two glared at each other before they broke out into giggles. Their giggles soon transformed into loud, almost hysterical, laughter.

 

            “I can’t…deal…with you…” Hiro choked out in between his laughter.

 

            “Same…I feel…the same…” Tadashi replied, also breathless from laughing so hard.

 

            As the two caught their breath, the very last of the fireworks lit up the sky and faded away. Hiro and Tadashi soon found that the night was utterly silent except for their desperate gasps for much needed oxygen.

 

            “Show’s over I guess,” Tadashi said softly after about a minute. “Want to head back in and call it a night?”

 

            “Yeah.”

 

            “You can go wash up first. I’ll shoot our friends a text to let them know that we’ll be sleeping soon.”

 

            “Ok.”

 

            Tadashi shifted so that Hiro could once again secure himself around his back. When Tadashi deemed Hiro to be comfortable and secure, he started walking back into their room; once they made it back inside, Hiro closed the balcony door behind them.

 

            After each of them spent about 10 minutes in the bathroom washing up, Hiro and Tadashi got comfortable on their bed. Despite the fact that Hiro’s ankle was already looking a lot less red and felt a lot less painful, he still decided to elevate it a little; as such, Hiro had to remain on his back. This put a slight monkey wrench in their typical sleeping arrangement.

 

            “If I had known that spraining my ankle would mean no cuddling…” Hiro muttered to himself.

 

            “You wouldn’t have done anything differently.” Tadashi finished Hiro’s thought.

 

            “Hey…” Hiro said indignantly, in part because he hadn’t intended for Tadashi to hear his thought in the first place and in part because he didn’t like how Tadashi finished it.

 

            “I’m kidding. But it’ll make cuddling all the more fun when you get better, right?”

 

            “Bleh…you’re so gross.”

 

            “Fine. No kisses for you tonight then…because I’m gross and all.” Tadashi said, smiling cheekily. Hiro mocked hurt.

 

            “You wouldn’t…”

           

            Tadashi answered Hiro’s statement with a soft kiss to the cheek. Even though he knew it was coming, Hiro’s face still scrunched up in embarrassment.

 

            “Don’t just kiss my cheek…” Hiro whispered. Tadashi chuckled before he shifted himself so that his upper body loomed over Hiro; Hiro had to take a few deep breaths in to ensure that his heart wouldn’t leap out of his chest.

 

            Hiro groaned in frustration when Tadashi moved to kiss everywhere on his face (forehead, nose, and eyelids to name a few places) except for his lips. Who had ever known that Tadashi was such a tease? But then again, it wasn’t like Hiro couldn’t get the kiss himself. All he had to do was pull Tadashi a little closer.

 

            Just like he had on the fateful day when some part of him decided that he really liked Tadashi and was willing to further their relationship. _Oh the irony_ Hiro thought.

 

            With that in mind, Hiro craned his neck and captured Tadashi’s lips with his own. Maybe it was his imagination, but Hiro thought that he felt Tadashi smile into the kiss. _I don’t care what he says, he’s definitely the more romantic one_ Hiro thought. _What a dork._

 

            After a few playful nibbles, the two broke apart and resettled on the bed. Although the two couldn’t cuddle for the night, they settled on holding each other’s hands underneath the covers.

 

            “Good night Hiro.” Tadashi said softly.

 

            “Good night Tadashi.” Hiro replied.

 

             Hiro’s last thought before he drifted off to sleep was that he had forgotten to talk to Tadashi about a few things. Tadashi’s cheesy, but nonetheless heartfelt, spiel had pushed their conversation in one particular direction. That is, it had pushed their conversation away from the topic of…how Tadashi loved to coyly kiss him on the nape all the time and how that always drove Hiro’s heart to beat like mad. To put it bluntly, Hiro still needed to talk to Tadashi about…well, sex.

 

_Great, and here I thought that our weird conversations had come to an end. How wrong I was._

 

            Well, if Hiro was truly as courageous as Tadashi thought he was, then he should be fine. In his own weird way, Tadashi had given Hiro just what he needed to go through with what he wanted to say. Hiro smiled to himself. Tadashi always had a way with providing strength and support when he needed it the most, didn’t he?

 

            _It’ll work out. I know it will. Thanks Tadashi._

 

            With that resolution in mind, Hiro then drifted off into a peaceful sleep. He had quite some healing to do after all.

 

 

FIN

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh finally this installment is over. /flops over I cannot believe it's like, 20,000+ words ;A;
> 
> Anyhoo I'm sorry that this installment ran so long and yet there still doesn't seem to be a clear answer about whether or not Hiro and Tadashi are finally going to do the thing already XD. I hinted at it heavily yeah, but as Hiro clearly stated, they haven't formally discussed it yet. Tis unfortunate really.
> 
> I had originally planned the ending to be different...but I suppose that I can just use what I had originally written for the next part. It'll be a good transition to the...you know, smut lol. 
> 
> But in order for the transition to work...I'm going to have to hurt Hiro a little bit more. Eeekkkkk I'm so sorry Hirooooo!! ;A;
> 
> Anyway despite my utter EXHAUSTION and annoyance with this installment, I'm grateful that I was able to write from Hiro's point of view for once. The fact that this installment took me almost two months to write is a testament to how difficult it is to write from his point of view I suppose XDDD. 
> 
> Or maybe it's because Hiro's insecurities are my insecurities and it was difficult to express them in words ahahahaa orz
> 
> But all in all, it was a very good learning experience. I hope that the next installment will be a good learning experience as well. :3 We'll see~ 
> 
> Once again, come find me on Rl4r.tumblr.com!!! I’m always lurking around (cuz I have no lifeeeeeee *punted*) and I’d love to hear what you guys thinks. Thank you in advance!


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